The theme I am getting from the eastward NLDS is 'keep it simple, stupid'. The Phillies are roaring in with this big, brash, immaculately crafted team with the better record and the bigger highlights, and the Mets are winning because they're just playing better baseball right now. It's John Henry vs. the steam drill. Technology and saber metrics and planning don't mean shit if they can hit and pitch better than you.
And that's where we're at. The Mets are winning this series while pitching Sean Manaea, and getting 7 and a half innings out of him. And they're getting production out of Alonso, Vientos, Nimmo and Winker while the Phillies struggle to wake up Harper, Bohm, Schwarber and Turner. The Mets have the contact game down, the power game down, the stars hitting and the rotation, cheaper, being efficient. And that's all you need. The Phils took all this time practicing hitting Manaea's sweeper at BP and couldn't get it done. Nola's been working to avoid nights like this all year and he still gets lit up. All the best planning and forethought doesn't mean anything if the other guy gets you without thinking.
The Phillies are going into Game 4 with the prospect of Ranger Suarez on the mound. If this were, like, May? I'd be confident. I'm not. GG Mets.
It's odd that a week that starts with a mugging can get worse, but it did for Walker Buehler. Lost an expensive watch in a scuffle with a tough, then goes to pitch the NLDS and gets rocked by Tatis and friends. I just think this really isn't his year. You have to hope he picks things up in 2025 but he really couldn't find a steady ground all year. And he's kinda all the Dodgers have right now in terms of valid starting options. Yamamoto, Flaherty and Buehler, three very flawed guys.
The Padres did end up with the win, but it was close. Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez had huge offensive moments, and gave Robert Suarez a very daunting task. But thanks to great moments from Xander Bogaerts, Kyle Higashioka, Tatis, and David Peralta, who's gone from a replacement level depth OF option to one of the most pivotal hitters on the Padres' lineup this year. He may be destined for enshrinement at Chase Field, but Peralta's having his most pivotal postseason of his entire career, and he's doing it with the San Diego Padres. Absolutely wild.
Tomorrow the Padres could put this thing to bed and return to the NLCS for the first time since 2022, and if they do so they might just be favored to win it. All they need to do is hope that Martin Perez is as good in the postseason as he's been down the stretch.
We could end some series' tomorrow. I'm secretly hoping for a Phillies comeback but we may get some answers tomorrow.
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