Déjà vu!!

For the second straight season, the Philadelphia Phillies eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series in four games. The 104-win Braves had the best record in the MLB, and now have lost 16 times in the playoffs to a team with a worse record since 1996.

Against the Braves, the Phillies set a franchise record for stolen bases with five in Game 1. The Phillies tied the league record for the most home runs in a playoff game with six in Game 3. On Thursday’s Game 4, Nick Castellanos hit two homers (just like Game 3), becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve that feat in a postseason game. Trea Turner became the first player in franchise history with a four-hit playoff game, hitting the home run to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead to go with two singles and a double.

Bryce Harper said this team was built for October, and he was absolutely correct.  Well, the Phillies have five players with nine-figure contracts in Harper, Castellanos, Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler. All five of them have shown up, and so have many others. 

Ranger Suarez and the bullpen allowed ONE run in 18 innings in Games 1 and 4. The Braves have a loaded lineup on offense. But Suarez allowed just three hits in Game 4, and the bullpen gave up two. Craig Krimbel helped the Phillies get out of a bases-loaded jam, making Ronald Acuna Jr. fly out. The pitching was great this season. Sure, there was the Game 2 collapse. However, you cannot really pin that on the pitching. Wheeler was great, and a few errors and some bad luck led to losing that game. Besides Game 2, the Braves had just three runs in 32 innings and only eight runs in four games. 

The Braves were not built for this moment, unlike the Phillies. The Braves tied the series up, but instead of having the momentum, they were obliterated in a 10-2 loss in Game 3. Harper hit two homers after Oralndo Arcia made a comment about his baserunning mistake to end Game 2. Don’t poke the bear, Arcia! Harper’s response was just one example of how the Phillies were more prepared and ready for the moment. The Phillies outhit the Braves 11-3, and have now beaten Atlanta the last four games in Citizens Bank Park. In those four games, the Phillies have outscored theBraves 30-7. The Braves should have known what to expect, but they were just not ready for the moment. And it was great to beat up Spencer Strider in Game 4. He allowed seven hits and three runs. The Braves had their chances, but were shut down each time. Again, they were not built for October, unlike the Phillies.

The Phillies will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Conference Series, looking for back-to-back pennants. However, we all know they want more. This team is so motivated. They want to capture a World Series championship more than anything, especially Harper. He deserves a World Series title more than anyone in the league, and he is eight wins away from getting one

The Phillies get home-field advantage in the NLCS, which is huge! The Phillies have been dominant at home in the postseason over the last two years, so hopefully that continues. Game 1 is set for 8 p.m. Monday. The one thing the Phillies need to clean up? Hitting with runners on! They left too many base runners stranded in Game 2 (a reason they lost) and Game 4 The Phillies left two runners on in the first couple innings, and really had chances Thursday to blow the game open. 

The Phillies match-up very well with the Diamondbacks, and can most certainly beat them. If the pitching stays like this, and timely hitting improves and not just solo homers, the Phillies are looking at reaching the World Series for a second straight season. And we all want that to happen!