The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 4-1 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. The home crowd gave the home team a boost early, and they never looked back.
Phillies-Marlins: Game 1
Zack Wheeler took the mound in the top of the 1st inning with an incredible advantage on his side. The crowd at Citizens Bank Park was loud for the first game of the 2023 MLB Playoffs. The “Red October” hysteria creates a home field advantage unique to the city of Philadelphia in a sport that doesn’t favor the home team as much as others.
The staff ace shut down the Marlins, pitching 6 ⅔ innings while allowing just one earned run. He also struck out eight Marlins hitters and walked none. He made things easy for his offense.
The Phillies struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, especially early in the game. However, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Cristian Pache, and Nick Castellanos drove in runs for the Phillies on the way to a 4-1 victory.
Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park
The atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park in October is unbeatable. The rally towels get everyone on their feet to fuel the hostility against the visitors. Rhys Hoskins almost caused the crowd to burn out before the game even started.
The scattered jerseys of past and present Phillies unite a crowd of generations of local fans who have hung tough cheering for the team with the most losses of any team in major professional sports.
The Philadelphia fan base expects a long run in Red October. They experienced the euphoria of playoff baseball one year ago. However, it ended with a heartbreaking loss in the World Series at the hands of the Houston Astros.
The Philadelphia Phillies have one game down, and they only need 12 more before they plan a World Series parade down Broad Street.
Enjoy the best Phillies photos from Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
