We Just Witnessed The Worst Choke In Phillies History
I was only a few months old when Mitch Williams gave up a walk-off HR to Joe Carter to end the Phillies’ hopes in 1993. So perhaps I just do not have the perspective to know how that moment felt. But as a 30-year-old man, I can say I have never witnessed a choke as bad as what we just saw with the Phillies. For the first time ever, they had a series go to 7 games. And despite having the home crowd behind them, and Ranger Suarez on the mound, they could not get the job done. They lost 4-2, and their season is over.
A week ago, they went up 2-0 in the series after beating the Diamondbacks 1o-0. 4 losses in 5 games later, they are taking an early vacation. In 5 of those games, they scored 2 or fewer runs. That includes tonight. Their so-called star players, Schwarber, Turner, Harper, Realmuto, and Castellanos, went 2 for 19. Castellanos and Turner end their postseason both on prolonged hitless streaks after both coming into the series as hot as anyone in baseball.
Last year they just ran into a better team. 2011 was bad. But they got their loss out of the way in the NLDS, and the bats had been leaking oil coming into the playoffs. In 2010 the Giants were a scorching hot team with a great rotation. And in 2009, they lost to an incredibly talented Yankees team. But this? This feels like the Sixers losing to the Hawks. It feels like the Eagles losing to the Jake Delhome Panthers. It’s a team they were far more talented than, but somehow lost to.
That’s no disrespect to the Diamondbacks. They fought, they clawed, and got the job done. They deserve to be in the World Series. But you compare these two rosters, and it just does not quite compare. But here we are. With them getting ready to travel to Texas, and the Phillies getting their golf clubs ready.
As much talent as this team has, as great as they looked in the NLDS and games 1 and 2, they could not get the job done. It’s the type of loss you dont get over easily. The type of thing we will still be talking about 10 years from now. Like 1 bloody nil, the Kawhi Leonard quadruple bouncing game-winning shot, or Ronde Barber’s pick 6. Phillies fans gave this team nothing but love. But now? A loss like this is hard to overcome.
For now, we are just left in stunned silence. The Phillies season is over. There will be no return trip to the World Series. No chance of redemption. It is on to the next big thing. We will put all our hopes in the Eagles. But we will be feeling the pain of this choke for a long time.
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