Phillies enter unfamiliar territory with first Game 7 in franchise history

Phillies enter unfamiliar territory with first Game 7 in franchise history originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It had to come to this, right?

After the excitement of signing premier free agent Trea Turner in the offseason and the setbacks of Rhys Hoskins and Andrew Painter during spring training. After the acquisition of Michael Lorenzen from the Tigers, who pitched a no-hitter in his first home start. After Nick Castellanos’s redemption from a rough previous season to become an All-Star, with his son becoming a celebrity in the process.

The showdown between the Phillies and Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series had to go the distance, didn’t it?

After Bryson Stott’s development into one of the league’s top second basemen, and the fans continuing to sing his walk-up song even after the music stopped. After Bryce Harper’s miraculous return from Tommy John surgery a month into the season. After Cristopher Sanchez stepped in to help the struggling rotation, and a game was postponed due to Canadian wildfires.

Shouldn’t we have expected that one of the original National League franchises, established in 1883, was destined to play in its first ever Game 7?

After Harper decided to learn to play first base on the fly, allowing Kyle Schwarber to become the full-time designated hitter. After Johan Rojas was called up, bringing a Gold Glove-level of play to center field. After Alec Bohm’s dedication to improving his fielding, which significantly boosted the team’s defense. And J.T. Realmuto achieved the first Phillies cycle in almost two decades.

Wasn’t it written in the stars?

After Turner’s rough start turned around thanks to a standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd. After 44 comeback wins and over 3 million fans attending games at Citizens Bank Park. After the Phillies rallied from being seven games under .500 on June 2 to having the best wild card record and defeating the Braves in the NLDS. And “Atta Boy, Harper” became an iconic phrase.

After a season filled with ups and downs, unexpected twists, and thrilling surprises, it feels inevitable that the Phillies will face the Diamondbacks one more time in a decisive Game 7 at Citizens Bank Park.

This became necessary after the Phillies lost 5-1 in Game 6, failing to clinch a spot in the World Series against the Texas Rangers. Now, it’s anyone’s game.

Perhaps the team with better pitching and hitting will come out on top. Or maybe the outcome will be determined by inches, with a line drive falling fair or foul, a fly ball just clearing the fence or being caught at the wall, or a ground ball sneaking through the infield. It could even come down to factors like bad hops, caroms, replay reviews, or umpire calls.

“Obviously, it sucks,” said Schwarber, one of the few Phillies players with experience in sudden death playoff games. “But it’s also exciting, and we’re embracing it.

“That’s all we’ve got. It’s going to be a great opportunity. We have to fight, scratch, and claw to score runs. Find a way to get outs. Find a way to advance the extra 90 feet. This is going to be an incredibly exciting baseball game because anything can happen. This is it.

“The message is to not try to do too much. Take it one pitch at a time, one out at a time. We don’t want to put extra pressure on ourselves. We shouldn’t try to do more than we’re capable of.”

The Phillies find themselves in this position because they lost three of four games to the underdog Diamondbacks after winning the first two games of the NLCS. However, they have confidence in left-handed pitcher Rangers Suarez, who has an outstanding 0.64 ERA in three postseason starts.

“I’m excited,” said Suarez, known for his composure on the mound. “I’ll go home, rest, sleep, and prepare for a special day. There will be some pressure, but we have to focus on playing our game. I trust my team, and they give me the confidence to stay calm.”

Suarez will start the game, but both teams will have most of their pitchers available if needed, including Phillies ace Zack Wheeler who started Games 1 and 5.

The Diamondbacks will counter with right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 against Suarez. The Phillies hope that they have gained some insights into Pfaadt’s pitching and can utilize that knowledge in this crucial game.

“We have to approach it like any other day, stay relaxed, and play our game,” said manager Rob Thomson.

There’s something mythical about Game 7 in baseball, and now most of the Phillies players and fans will experience it for the first time. Sometime before midnight Tuesday, one clubhouse will be jubilant, celebrating their victory. And the other will spend the winter pondering what might have been.