Six months of success by the Philadelphia Phillies is on the brink of being erased. A loss to the New York Mets in Game 4 of the NL Division Series on Wednesday would render their 95-win regular season an afterthought.
“We’re the closest to death we’re ever going to get, so in a way, we should feel the most alive,” Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos said Tuesday after a 7-2 loss put Philadelphia in a 2-1 deficit.
The Phillies, seeking their third World Series title since 1980, are one defeat from taking another step backward. They reached Game 6 of the 2022 World Series before losing to Houston and held a 3-2 lead in last year’s NL Championship Series before dropping Games 6 and 7.
Manager Rob Thomson addressed the team after Tuesday’s loss.
“I told them it’s the most resilient club I’ve ever been around,” Thomson said. “That’s what they’re all about. They’re all about toughness and fighting and playing together.”
The Phillies fell behind 2-0 in Game 3 on home runs by Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker off Aaron Nola. Sean Manaea pitched five strong innings for the Mets.
Philadelphia’s offense, hitting .204 through three playoff games against New York, struggled again. The Phillies made six outs in 13 pitches at one point.
Ranger Suárez starts Game 4 for Philadelphia against Jose Quintana. Suárez is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in seven postseason starts and two relief appearances.
“We’re in October now, so it’s a different atmosphere, a different vibe,” Suárez said.
A Phillies win would force a deciding Game 5 on Friday at Citizens Bank Park, where Philadelphia was 54-27 this season.
“If we’re able to come in and scrape out a win here, I know that they do not want to go back to Philly for a Game 5,” Castellanos said.
In San Diego, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run homer highlighted a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held off the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NL Division Series.
The Padres moved within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park.
Tatis’ homer gave San Diego a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández’s grand slam in the third inning brought Los Angeles within a run.
“I feel like I take it to another level; my mindset, my body. Everything is through the roof,” Tatis said of feeding off the crowd’s energy.
The Padres’ bullpen held on, with Robert Suarez earning a four-out save.
Mookie Betts homered for the Dodgers, ending an 0-for-22 playoff slump. But he initially thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him again.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will use a bullpen game in Game 4. The Padres will start Dylan Cease on short rest.
Tatis is 10 for 18 (.556) with four homers and no strikeouts in five playoff games.
The Dodgers are on the brink of losing in the NLDS for the third straight season.
“I like how we fought after we came back after that six-run inning,” Freddie Freeman said.
Walker Buehler, making his first playoff start since 2022, allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings.
“You can’t give up six runs in an inning in the playoffs and expect to win,” Buehler said.
Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.