After sweeping the National League favorite Atlanta Braves and their robust lineup out of the National League Division Series faster than you can say “Money Mike, ” the Cinderella Arizona Diamondbacks ran into a Phillies team with, a mission to get back to the World Series, inspired pitching and veteran bats that have accepted the fact that it’s hunting season.
Tory Lovullo’s young D-Backs took two punches to the head and didn’t go down, quickly falling behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven NLCS. They got up off the mat as they have all season and engineered a masterful and clutch 2-1 win in Game 3. In the process, cooling off a band of bats that appeared unstoppable through the first two games.
Tommy Pham & Alex Thomas Make First Impact On ALCS
Earlier in the week, MLBbro.com highlighted Arizona DH Tommy Pham and second-year outfielder Alex Thomas as the offensive keys to a Diamondbacks comeback. They were a combined 0-for-13 in the first two games after a fabulous NLDS where Thomas hit a Bro bomb and Pham was tough to get out.
Of course, we were assuming that the team’s top two hitters in the lineup, Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would continue to produce good at-bats, which they did in Game 3, going a combined 5-for-8 and driving in both key RBI.
Pham finally got his first ALCS hit to help pace the offense and Thomas got an at-bat and scored one of the decisive runs.
MLBbros Will Be Key To Arizona Diamondbacks NLCS Fate
Bro influence was all over that win and more is expected and needed from both players as strong supporting pieces for a Diamondbacks lineup that needs to string consecutive hits together and be aggressive on the basepaths to last more than five games with a focused Phillies team.
After tearing up the baseball, making clutch plays and helping the Arizona Diamondbacks plow through two elite World Series contenders, MLBbros Tommy Pham (0-for-8, 3Ks) and Alek Thomas (0-5) are a combined 0-for-13 in the first two games of this NLCS, which will be extremely brief if the bats of these two igniters don’t start popping off some hits.
During the historic sweep against the LA Dodgers that catapulted the Arizona Diamondbacks to the franchise’s first NLCS in 16 seasons, Pham, who came over from the underachieving NY Mets in August, had six hits, batted .429, slugged .632 with a 1.072 OPS.
Thomas contributed three hits and a clutch homer to help lift the Diamondbacks into MLB’s final four teams.
The tandem was a combined 2-for-6 in a Wild Card series sweep of the higher-seeded Milwaukee Brewers, but those hits were timely enough to contribute to a winning outcome.
Against a Phillies team that hits tons of playoff homers and is getting lights out pitching performances, however, a lack of production from these MLBbros has definitely contributed to the Diamondbacks being outscored 15-3 in the first two games of the seven-game series.
The series is far from over, but sweeps have been the theme throughout these playoffs, so the vibe doesn’t suggest that this will last long if the Bros bats don’t wake up immediately.
Diamondbacks Lineup Scuffling In National League Championship Series
There’s been enough of an offensive funk throughout the D-Backs lineup for the blame to be spread equally. The team has a combined total of eight hits and Ketel Marte is responsible for three of them. No player has more than one hit in the series and Geraldo Perdomo has the only homer, in Game 1.
The Diamondbacks have to now approach each game like it’s a single-game elimination, attacking with a controlled desperation that elevates players in moments of truth.
Some home cooking should also help.
“We’re going back home for three games,” first baseman Christian Walker told reporters. “We’ve got to win all three.”
Definitely.
And the offensive surge needed to win three games at home and match the Phillies’ energy will have to be led by two MLBbros who played prominent roles in helping the Diamondbacks get to this point.
Philadelphia – On Thursday Night, Michael Harris II and the Atlanta Braves season came to a disappointing end as they fell 3-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia’s series clenching victory on Thursday pushed their playoff home record to 26-11, the best in MLB playoff history according to the TBS broadcast.
Throughout the season we have raved at how historic the Atlanta offense was, but during this year’s NLDS it was Philadelphia who did the history making. In Game 1 the Phillies set a team record for most steals in a playoff game with five. In Game 3, the Phillies 6 homers were the most hit by any team in postseason history.
Right Fielder Nick Castellanos, who hit two homers of his own in their 10-2 Game 3 victory, added two more home runs in Game 4 to become the first player in MLB postseason history to hit two home runs in consecutive games.
As for the Braves, their pitching may have struggled but in the end the offense that tied the record for most home runs in MLB regular season history simply failed to do its part. Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olsen combined for 0 home runs and just 1 extra base hit the entire series.
MLBbro Michael Harris II saw his postseason come to an end when he was pinch hit for by Travis d’Arnaud. Harris managed to get on base in Game 4 thanks to Trae Turner’s 2 base error but finished the 2023 postseason hitless and still has only one hit in his two postseason appearances.
HIs fellow MLBbro Vaughn Grissom was the only other MLBbro on the Braves NLDS roster, but unfortunately, he didn’t get an opportunity to contribute. Grissom struck out after being called to pinch hit with two out in the bottom of the 9th.
The Braves became the second national league team this postseason to be eliminated after winning 100 games, joining Dave Roberts and the LA Dodgers who were eliminated by Tommy Pham and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Atlanta won their 6th consecutive division crown this season, but for the second straight postseason Philadelphia is the final NL East team standing.
Last night, Michael Harris II and the NL East leading Atlanta Braves opened up a three-game home set with Mookie Betts and the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
Dodgers Strike First
After a 40-minute rain delay, the Braves and Dodgers finally got to work. The Braves put up four runs in the bottom half of the first, but it was mostly Mookie and the Dodgers from there on out.
The Dodgers would put up eight runs when it was all said and done, going home with the 8-6 victory. Michael Harris went 0-4 with two strikeouts while Mookie was 1-4 with a hit, walk, run and RBI. Harris and the Braves will look to even the series tonight.
These teams have faced off in two of the last three National League Championship Series, so the excitement around this matchup could be felt from both fan bases. Albeit early in the season, it’s always good to see how your squad fares against a team that potentially stands between you and a trip to the World Series.
Now Bleacher Report blessed us with an exclusive conversation between Betts and Harris before their teams matched up Monday night, but let’s take a closer look at this clash between these two baseball titans who reside 2,189 miles apart.
Braves Continue to Build A Contender
The Braves have continued to be one of the most consistent franchises in North American professional sports, cultivating a culture that has created one of the most fun teams to watch in all of baseball.
Even Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts took note last summer while showing some love to center fielder Michael Harris II. “They can pitch, they can catch it. That Harris kid out there in center field, he’s a game changer out there. They have some slug. They have a lot of guys that play the game the right way. It’s just fun playing against those guys.”
Harris came into this season looking to build on his rookie campaign and has packed on an additional 10 pounds of muscle to his six-foot frame in order to endure the rigors of a 162-game season. Harris has struggled to find his form from last season, but the Braves haven’t missed a beat.
Atlanta is 29-18 as of Tuesday (May 22) and have dominated an NL East division that was expected to be highly competitive. The Mets are five games behind Atlanta in the standings with 10 head-to-head matchups remaining this season.
Dodgers Payola Continues to be Fruitful
Despite numerous injuries to key players on their pitching staff as well as the lineup, the Dodgers have been able to power through it all to remain atop the NL West.
A major reason for their success despite these setbacks has been the play of their Gold Glove outfielder turned utility infielder Mookie Betts. Betts’ versatility has come in clutch for LA, who have used their superstar in spot starts at short.
Even with the added pressure of playing a premier defensive position, Betts has continued to shine at the plate for the Dodgers. One aspect of his game that has remained elite is his patience at the plate. According to baseballsavant.com, Betts is currently ranked in the 89th percentile in walk percentage, 85th percentile in whiff percentage and the 99th percentile in chase rate.
His average has dipped to .250, but his xBA of .281 gives us hope that some of these balls he has hit directly at defenders will eventually start falling for hits.
The San Diego Padres’ season came to an end on Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies won 4-3 to punch its ticket to the World Series. San Diego only won one game during the series, but the team did not go down without a fight. And two of our MLBbros did their best to contribute to a World Series run. The franchise is definitely closing the gap on the Los Angeles Dodgers and next season’s NL West race should go down to the wire. The return of Fernando Tatis will figure prominently in what happens out West in 2023.
Josh Bell: Where Will His Roller Coaster Ride End Up?
Josh Bell had a productive NLCS and had some timely and key hits at the plate. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to help his team get over that hump. In the five games against the Phillies, Bell recorded a hit in four of them. The former Washington Nationals slugger finished the series going 6-for-17 with a home run and three RBI.
He had a big performance in Game 2 as he finished with a three-hit performance as the Padres got the only win of the series that game.
During the postseason, Bell finished with a .250 batting average with two home runs and five RBI. Bell’s future in San Diego is still cloudy as he will become a free agent this summer and return to the market after signing a one-year $10M deal with the Nats last offseason before being traded in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal. The Padres could retain him, but reports say they will probably look in another direction, which is a shame because he is a great fit out there. There will be more than a couple of teams searching for a first baseman with major pop and playoff experience.
Bell’s season was a tale of two cities. The 40-year-old played at an All-Star level with the Nationals, with a strong stat line of .311/.390/.504 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI. After he was traded to the Padres, though, Bell’s production plummeted to .192/.316/.271 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 53 games, but he did help the team get into the playoffs.
There are rumors that the Houston Astros would be a perfect fit for Bell who would thrive in that lineup as a younger replacement for 38-year-old declining free agent Yuli Gurriel.
On the other hand, Bell’s teammate, Trent Grisham started the postseason with a bang, but slowed down a bit as the postseason progressed.
In the series against Philadelphia, Grisham went hitless in all five games. Definitely not the performance his team and fans wanted to see. After starting the postseason with a four-game hitting streak, Grisham went a disastrous 0-for-18 with nine strikeouts in the LCS against the Phillies. He finished the postseason hitting .200 with three home runs and 15 strikeouts. His regular season performance was less than expected and the Padres will give this talented outfielder at least one more season to prove himself as an everyday player. The club does have him under control for three more seasons. The 2020 Gold Glove winner hit 17 homers but batted just .184 with 150Ks.
It would have been exciting to see both of these MLBbros compete in the World Series and potentially win their first title. But it was good to see them make it as far as they did, laying the groundwork for an even better 2023.
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