NLCS Game 1 Home Runs Have Special Place in Phillies History

The ambush of home runs in the 1st inning of Game 1 of the NLCS lit the crowd at Citizens Bank Park on fire. If the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t know what Red October was all about, they certainly learned quickly.

Kyle Schwarber had an interesting way to greet South Jersey native Zac Gallen. He blasted the first pitch he saw on a line smash that took about a second to bounce off the scoreboard in the right field stands.

Two hitters later, Bryce Harper continued to build his reputation as the biggest superstar in the sport and one of the most clutch performers in Philadelphia Phillies history.

The offense wasn’t finished. “Mr. Red October” Nick Castellanos went deep in the 2nd inning to join Reggie Jackson as the only other player in MLB playoff history to hit five home runs in a three-game span.

When the 2008 Phillies come up in conversation, fans usually think of a handful of key memories. The Matt Stairs moonshot, the legendary Chase Utley throw from second base, and the final out of the World Series from Brad Lidge (among others) will live in Phillies folklore with the ultimate admiration.

Another World Series ring in 2023 would put some more legendary memories on the mantle. The ambush in Game 1 of the NLCS will be one of them. You’ll watch YouTube videos of the pandemonium at Citizens Bank Park and glorify the home-field advantage in Red October.

You’ll glorify Harper, Schwarber, and Castellanos as the heroes who helped the Phillies to their third World Series in franchise history. 

However, season results shape the perception of memories. It’s true for all sports fans. History is written by the winners, and what follows the memories will actually determine the folklore more than the event itself.

The Phillies came closest to winning the World Series in 2022 with a 7-0 blowout victory in Game 3 against the Houston Astros. They took a 2-1 series lead and improved to 6-0 at Citizens Bank Park during the 2022 postseason.

Harper, Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Rhys Hoskins went deep on a night to remember for Phillies fans.

Do Phillies fans actually remember it that fondly though? The euphoria was real at the moment, but the Astros bounced back the following day for a momentum-shifting no-hitter. The blown series lead clouds the perception of the Game 3 memory.

The result of the series against the Diamondbacks will shape your memory of Game 1 in the NLCS. The visitors weathered the storm to get back within striking distance before ultimately falling short in a 5-3 loss. However, they sent a message that they weren’t going down easily.

Can the Phillies advance past another hot Wild Card team?

The Phillies are back in the NLCS. For the second straight year, they knocked the 100+ win Braves out of the playoffs in the NLDS. Everyone called them the greatest lineup in Baseball history. Didn't seem so potent against the Phillies. They were held to just 7 runs across 4 games. With guys like Ronald Acuna and Matt Olson being quiet the entire series. And now, we can look forward to the NLCS and the Diamondbacks.

The Phillies get the next 3 days off. Which they may need after how much they partied after the win in game 4. And then on Monday, it begins. They need 4 more wins to get to the World Series, and 8 more to parade down Broad Street.

And there is good reason to be very confident in this team. As good as last year's team was, this roster is even better. To start, they have Trea Turner who is putting up crazy numbers. Bryce Harper is still the best playoff hitter ever. And now you have Nick Castellanos playing out of his mind after he struggled in the playoffs last year. And maybe more important, is how great the pitching looks.

The Braves may be choke artists, but that was still a very good lineup. They were shut down by the Phillies pitchers though. Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez all pitched gems. And apart from game 2, the Bullpen shut the door on the Braves once the starters came out. The bullpen goes deep, far deeper than it did last year. The lineup is just as deep. This team is very good.

So before the NLCS, let's get a reminder of just how good this 26-man roster is. And while we are at it, let's see how all of them have played against the Diamondbacks so far this season.

Season Stats

.252/.310/.452/.762

20 HRs, 28 2Bs, 5 3Bs, 63 RBIs, 70 Runs, 16 SBs, 35 BBs, 138 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.400/.478/1.000/1.478

8 for 20, 2 HRs, 2 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 6 RBIs, 8 Runs, 1 SB, 2 BBs, 2Ks

Playoff Stats

.273/.333/.636/.969

6 for 22, 2 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 6 RBIS, 0 SBs, 1 BB, 5 Ks

Season Stats

.293/.401/.499/.900

21 HRs, 29 2Bs, 1 3B, 72 RBIs, 84 Runs, 11 SBs, 80 BBs, 119 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.296/.441/.370/.812

8 for 27, 0 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 4 RBIs, 4 Runs, 1 SB, 7 BBs, 6 Ks

Playoff Stats

.368/.538/.842/1.380

7 for 19, 3 HRs, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 5 RBIs, 7 Runs, 1 SB, 7 BBs, 5 Ks

Season Stat

.280/.329/.419/.747

15 HRs, 32 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 62 RBIs, 78 Runs, 31 SBs, 39 BBs, 100 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.393/.414/.786/1.200

11 for 28, 3 HRs, 0 2Bs, 1 3B, 5 RBIs, 7 Runs, 1 SB, 1 BB, 5 Ks

Playoff Stats

.238/.292/.381/.673

5 for 21, 1 HR, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 7 RBIs, 3 Runs, 1 Sb, 2 BBs, 10 Ks

Season Stats

.266/.320/.459/.778

26 HRs, 35 2Bs, 5 3Bs, 76 RBIs, 102 Runs, 30 SBs, 45 BBs, 150 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.241/.353/.379/.732

7 for 29, 1 HR, 1 2B, 0 3Bs, 4 RBIs, 5 Runs, 4 SBs, 5 BBs, 6 Ks

Playoff Stats

.500/.538/.917/1.455

12 for 24, 2 HRs, 4 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 3 RBIs, 5 Runs, 4 SBs, 2 BBs, 4 Ks

Season Stats

.274/.327/.437/.765

20 HRs, 31 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 97 RBIs, 74 Runs, 4 SBs, 42 BBs, 94 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.346/.346/.423/.769

9 for 26, 0 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 8 RBIs, 4 Runs, 0 SBs, 0 BBs, 1 K

Playoff Stats

.190/.320/.286/.606

4 for 21, 0 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs, 0 SBs, 4 BBs, 6 Ks

Season Stats

.277/.372/.458/.829

12 HRs, 25 2Bs, 6 3Bs, 60 RBIs, 58 Runs, 10 SBs, 59 BBs, 144Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.263/.300/.316/.616

5 for 19, 0 HRs, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 RBIs, 2 Runs, 0 SB, 1 BB, 10 Ks

Playoff Stats

.357/.400/.643/1.043

5 for 14, 1 HR, 1 2B, 0 3Bs, 1 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 SB, 1 BB, 5 Ks

Season Stats

.302/.342/.430/.771

2 HRs, 9 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 23 RBIs, 24 Runs, 14 SBs, 5 BBs, 42 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

Has Not Faced The Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

.048/.091/.048/.139

1 for 21, 0 HRs, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 0 RBIs, 1 Run, 0 SBs, 1 BB, 9 Ks

Season Stats

.272/.311/.476/.788

29 HRs, 37 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 106 RBIs, 79 Runs, 11 SBs, 36 BBs, 185 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.258/.314/.355/.669

8 for 31, 0 HRs, 3 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 4 RBIs, 4 Runs, 1 SB, 3 BBs, 10 Ks

Playoff Stats

.391/.440/.643/1.083

9 for 23, 4 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 5 RBIs, 6 Runs, 1 SB, 2 BBs, 3 Ks

Season Stats 

.197/.343/.474/.817 

47 HRs, 19 2Bs, 1 3B, 104 RBIs, 108 Runs, 0 SBs, 126 BBs, 215 Ks 

Stats vs Diamondbacks 

.192/.364/.462/.825 

5 for 26, 2 HRs, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 RBIs, 5 Runs, 7 BBs, 6 Ks 

Playoff Stats 

.160/.222/.240/.462

4 for 25, 0 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3B, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 0 SBs, 1 BB, 10 Ks

Season Stats

.251/.293/.427/.719

10 HRs, 15 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 30 RBIs, 34 Runs, 4 SBs, 8 BBs, 74 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.182/.182/.364/.545

2 for 11, 0 HRs, 2 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 2 RBIs, 1 Run, 1 SB, 0 BBs, 4 Ks

Playoff Stats

Has not appeared

Season Stats

.238/.319/.417/.736

2 HRs, 7 2Bs, 1 3B, 11 RBIs, 12 Runs, 2 SBs, 10 BBs, 27 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

Did Not Face The Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

.143/.333/.143/.476

1 for 7, 0 HRs, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 SB, 2 BBs, 3 Ks

Season Stats

.212/.272/.348/.620

5 HRs, 8 2Bs, 1 3B, 21 RBIs, 18 Runs, 3 SBs, 15 BBs, 55 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

Did Not Faced The Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

Has Not Appeared

Season Stats

.204/.274/.283/.557

1 HR, 4 2Bs, 1 3B, 12 RBIs, 15 Runs, 2 SBs, 9 BBs, 29 Ks

Stats vs Diamondbacks

.286/.375/.286/.661

2 for 7, 0 HRs, 0 2Bs, 0 3Bs, 0 RBIs, 1 Run, 0 SBs, 1 BB, 4 Ks

Playoff Stats

Has Not Appeared

Season Stats

3.61 ERA, 13-6, 212 Ks, 192 IPs, 1,08 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

3.00 ERA, 1-1, 10 Ks, 12 IPs, 1.17 WHIP, 2 Starts

Playoff Stats

2.08 ERA, 1-0, 18 Ks, 13 IPs, .069 WHIP, 2 Starts

Season Stats

4.46 ERA, 12-9, 202 Ks, 193.2 IPs, 1.15 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

5.40 ERA, 1-0, 9 Ks, 6.2 IPS, 1.05 WHIP, 1 Start

Playoff Stats

1.42 ERA, 2-0, 12 Ks, 12.2 IPs, 0.87 WHIP, 2 Starts

Season Stats

4.18 ERA, 4-6, 119 Ks, 125 IPs, 1.42 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

3.75 ERA, 0-0, 12 Ks, 12 IPs, 1.00 WHIP, 2 Starts,

Playoff Stats

1.04 ERA, 1-0, 6 Ks, 8.2 IPs, 0.58 WHIP, 2 Starts

Season Stats

4.38 ERA, 15-6, 138 Ks, 172.2 IPs, 1.31 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

Has Not Faced the Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

Has Not Appeared

Season Stats

3.44 ERA, 3-5, 96 Ks, 99.1 IPs, 1.05 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

Has Not Faced the Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 0 Ks, 1 IP, 2.00 WHIP, 1 Appearance

Season Stats

4.18 ERA, 9-9, 111 Ks, 153 IPs, 1.21 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

8.1 ERA, 0-1, 3 Ks, 6.2 IPs, 1.20 WHIP, 1 Start

Playoff Stats

Has Not Appeared

Season Stats

3.26 ERA, 23 Saves, 94 Ks, 69 IPs, 1.04 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

0.00 ERA, 1 Save, 4 Ks, 3 IPs, 0.33 WHIP. 3 Appearances

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 2 Saves, 1 Hold, 1 K, 3 IPs, 0.67 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Season Stats

1.74 ERA, 10 Saves, 64 Ks, 41.1 IPs, 1.16 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

0.00 ERA, 1 Save, 1 K, 1 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 1 Appearance

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 4 Holds, 4 Ks, 4 IPs, 4 Appearances

Season Stats

4.62 ERA, 3 Saves, 65Ks, 60.1 IPs, 1.14 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 3 Ks, 2 IPS, 1.50 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Playoff Stats

5.40 ERA, 0 Saves,  1 Hold, 1.2 IPS, 2 Ks, 2.40 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Season Stats

2.41 ERA, 1 Save, 69 Ks, 52.1 IPs, 0.92 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

3.86 ERA, 0 Saves, 4 Ks, 2.1 IPs, 2.14 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 2 Holds, 2.2 IPS, 4 Ks, 1.50 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Season Stats

3.78 ERA, 2 Saves, 48 Ks, 50 Ks, 50 IPs, 1.40 WHIP

Stats vs. Diamondbacks

27.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 1 Blown Save, 2 Ks, 1.1 IPs, 3 Appearances

Playoff Stats

18.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 1 Hold, 1-1, 1 K, 1 IP, 2.00 WHIP, 1 HLD, 3 Appearances

Season Stats

3.29 ERA, 2 Saves, 108 Ks, 87.2 IPs, 1.02 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

9.64 ERA, 0 Saves, 4 Ks, 4.2 IPs, 1.71 WHIP, 2 Appearances

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 1 Save, 1 Hold, 2.1 IPS, 1 K, 1.29 WHIP, 3 Appearances

Season Stats

0.00 ERA, 0 Saves, 6 Ks, 3.0 IPs, 1.33 WHIP

Stats vs Diamondbacks

Has Not Faced The Diamondbacks

Playoff Stats

0.00 ERA, 1 HLD, 1 K, 3 IPs, 0.67 WHIP, 3 Appearances