Phillies sweep Marlins to earn NL Division Series rematch with MLB-best Braves
Jasrado Chisholm Jr, centre, reacts to being called out on strikes by umpire Stu Scheurwater, right, during Game 1 of the NL wild-card baseball playoff series Tuesday. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
As of Thursday, October 5, 2023
#By DAN GELSTON
#AP Sports Writer
#PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott crushed the second grand slam in Philadelphia Phillies postseason history and Aaron Nola tossed seven shutout innings in a performance worthy of a postseason ace that led to a 7-1 win and a two-game sweep over the Miami Marlins in their NL Wild Card Series last night.
#After making quick work of the surprising Marlins, it’s time for an anticipated rematch.
#J.T. Realmuto also homered as the Phillies advanced to another best-of-five NL Division Series against Ronald Acuña Jr, Matt Olson and the Braves. Game 1 is Saturday in Atlanta.
#The NL champion Phillies finished third last season in the NL East at 87-75, a full 14 games behind the 101-win Braves, only to beat them in four games in the NLDS.
#The Braves were even better this season with 104 wins and a sixth straight NL East crown — clinched last month in Philadelphia — while the Phillies again earned a wild card with 90 wins.
#More postseason thrills are surely ahead.
#Stott provided one Wednesday when he turned on reliever Andrew Nardi’s first-pitch fastball in the sixth and dumped it into the right-field seats for a 7-0 lead. He slammed his bat as he ran down the first-base line, and the Stott Shot sent Phillies fans into a delirious frenzy with the countdown to a clinch officially on. Nola followed Game 1 starter Zack Wheeler’s excellent effort with one of his own, and had 46,000 fans on their feet chanting “Let’s Go, Nola!” when he needed a lift.
#The one knock on Nola, who is eligible for free agency after the World Series, is his trouble with shutdown innings. After Realmuto went deep to make it 3-0 in the fourth, Nola ran into a jam in the fifth. He put runners on first and second with one out before he got Jesús Sánchez to ground into an inning-ending double play.
#Nola picked — more than pitched — his way out of Miami’s only other serious threat.
#The Marlins briefly caught a break in the third when Jon Berti’s deep drive into the left-centre gap knocked off left fielder Cristian Pache’s glove for a one-out double. Berti then inexplicably tried to steal third and was busted by Nola as the righty went into his delivery. Nola noticed Berti taking off and, instead of throwing a pitch, simply stepped toward third and threw him out.
#They’re the kind of mistakes a postseason novice like the Marlins make.They’re the kind of smart, crucial plays that helped define the Phillies’ postseason runs the last two seasons.
#With fans again waving their red rally towels, many wearing Phillies overalls popularised by backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, and the team on the brink of a clinch, the Phillies had their way with Miami starter Braxton Garrett.
#The Phillies again had six 20-homer hitters in the lineup but — a night after failing to go deep in Game 1 — again stitched together runs against Garrett.Kyle Schwarber ripped an RBI double to right in the third that scored Pache for a 1-0 lead. Pache raced around the bases from first, his helmet still bouncing on the dirt, as he slid headfirst into home. Trea Tuner, the $300 million shortstop, smacked an RBI single that scored Schwarber for a 2-0 lead.
#By then, the Game 2 victory seemed inevitable.
#After all, there’s a reason the Phillies call the postseason Red October. They just don’t lose at Citizens Bank. At least, not often.
#The Phillies, who won the 2008 World Series at home, moved to 24-11 in the postseason at the ballpark, the top winning percentage in the postseason for any team in any park (minimum 20 games).
#Realmuto crushed his fourth career postseason homer off David Robertson in the fourth to make it 3-0.
#Miami scored in the ninth on Josh Bell’s RBI single.
#BRING A BROOM
#The Phillies joined Minnesota, Arizona and Texas as the teams that swept all four Wild Card Series. There have been seven sweeps — including the Phillies over St. Louis last season — in the eight Wild Card Series during the first two years of expanded playoffs.
#UP NEXT
#Catch Marlins again February 24 in a spring training game against St Louis.