ST. LOUIS — Now that is tips on how to finish an 11-year postseason drought.
With J.T. Realmuto, who had performed 1,005 regular-season video games with no postseason look, giving the Phillies hope with a one-out unmarried within the 9th. With Bryce Harper, who were death to go back to baseball’s largest degree since he signed with the Phillies in 2019, running his long ago from a 1-2 depend to stroll. With Nick Castellanos, who had no longer loved the season he anticipated in his first 12 months in Philly, strolling to load the bases.
With Alec Bohm, who were given drilled via a 100.8 mph fastball, hopping up and clapping because the Phillies scored their first run. With Jean Segura, who had performed 1,328 regular-season video games with no postseason look, jumping into the air like a little bit boy after hitting a ball into proper box to offer the Phillies the lead.
The Phillies loved a ancient 6-3 comeback victory over the Cardinals on Friday in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series at Busch Stadium. They are the primary group in postseason historical past to attain six runs within the 9th inning when trailing to go into the body.
“I said it in the cage before the game,” Harper mentioned. “We’re no longer dropping this sport. That was once the mentality. I swear. I used to be pronouncing all of it morning, ‘We’re no longer dropping as of late.’ It’s simply no longer going to occur. We’re no longer going to lose this sequence, we are not going to lose this sport. That’s the mentality that we have got in there. We wish to move available in the market and win. Whatever that takes, we are going to play 27 outs. It does not subject how lengthy you lead in a sport, so long as you might have the lead on the finish.
“We were all talking about it. You have to speak it into existence, right?”
Ace Zack Wheeler pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings ahead of left-handed reliever José Alvarado allowed his first runs since Aug. 23 to offer the Cardinals a 2-0 lead within the 7th. The Phillies had simply two hits thru 8. They mentioned they could were looking to do an excessive amount of. Maybe they have been too excited, too frightened.
But then, with Philadelphia’s win likelihood at simply 3%, Realmuto hit a one-out unmarried towards Cardinals nearer Ryan Helsley within the 9th.
“Against a guy like that, honestly, you’re just trying to put the ball in play,” Realmuto mentioned.
Helsley is considered one of baseball’s best possible relievers. He went 9-1 with a 1.24 ERA and 19 saves this season whilst putting out 94 in 64 2/3 innings. But he jammed his center finger previous within the week and he misplaced feeling in that finger all over the 9th.
Harper labored a six-pitch stroll to place runners on first and 2d.
“That was a massive at-bat,” Realmuto mentioned. “If he chases just one of those pitches, that inning we just had probably doesn’t happen. … [Helsley] threw a couple good swing-and-miss pitches, and Bryce just had great takes. It looked like, in the middle of that at-bat, he slowed it down and saw the ball better. That was huge for us.”
Castellanos labored a five-pitch stroll to load the bases. Then, Bohm were given drilled at the left shoulder. He spun into the filth like a best, however he hopped up and clapped.
“I didn’t feel it,” Bohm mentioned, smiling.
“It kind of hurts, but I don’t care,” he mentioned.
St. Louis supervisor Oliver Marmol selected Andre Pallante over Jack Flaherty to interchange Helsley and face Segura.
“Segura is a … 60-percent ground ball guy against righties all year,” Marmol mentioned. “Pallante is a high-ground ball guy. That matchup has about a 70-percent [chance of working]. You got one out. The situation is basically you want to end the game there with a ground-ball double play.”
No energetic participant had performed extra regular-season video games with no shuttle to the postseason than Segura. (Realmuto was once 2d.) Segura had talked perpetually about his want to make the postseason.
OK, Jean, time to step up.
The Cardinals moved the infield midway in. Segura slapped a 2-2 slider simply off the filth. Cardinals 2d baseman Tommy Edman dived to his left. He were given a glove on it, however the ball scooted into shallow proper box. Harper and Castellanos scored to offer the Phillies a 3-2 lead.
“Classic Jean,” Castellanos mentioned.
“That’s Jean, he can hit anything,” Bohm mentioned. “He’s a hit machine.”
Segura’s two-run unmarried was once the second one go-ahead hit with the group trailing within the 9th inning or later in Phillies postseason historical past. The different got here from Jimmy Rollins off Jonathan Broxton in 2009.
The Phils scored 3 extra runs. Zach Eflin were given 3 outs within the 9th to seal the Phillies’ first postseason victory since Game 3 of the 2011 NLDS towards the Cardinals. The Cards eradicated the Phillies with a 1-0 victory in Game 5, precisely 11 years in the past Friday.
“I was ready today,” Segura mentioned. “I woke up at 7 a.m. with adrenaline in my body, knowing that I am going to play a postseason game.”
The adrenaline propelled him into the air as he ran to first base.
“Just like when you give a little kid a toy and just jumping around and happiness,” he mentioned. (*1*)