Game 1 of the NLDS was a tough pill to swallow for the Philadelphia Phillies. Not only did they blow a lead against the Dodgers, but they also feared losing one of the key players on the way. None other than Harrison Bader.

Bader left the game with a groin strain, which forced Nick Castellanos to step in during the bottom of the seventh. That caused ripple effects on the bench, too. Edmundo Sosa had to pinch hit for Brandon Marsh in the right with the bases loaded, and Weston Wilson took over in left field to finish the game. The main concern now was—how serious is Bader? The next morning, he ended up going to an MRI to determine the severity of the groin strain.

Bader sounded confident about making a return, in fact, even before the MRI reports came back. He said, “Yeah, I absolutely feel like I’ll be able to play… Just running between first and second base, just kind of pulled up at second base, and felt a little weird. I don’t really know what I’d attribute it to… We have an off day tomorrow. And we’ll just get some imaging done and go from there. But this is kind of the point in the season where you just empty the tank.” And well, there is good news, because it turns out there is no major tear or strain found. As far as how soon he can be back, he could be back as soon as Game 2. The Phillies will still need to wait for a green light, but the initial news is a no-brainer for now.

Rob Thomson updated everyone on Bader’s status, “Yeah. Uh, no major tear or strain. Um, he’s going to come in this afternoon and get some treatment, and, um, we’ll know more tomorrow…Yeah, I think, um, and again, we’ll know more tomorrow, but I think after the game, they stretched him out. Uh, they got him moving around a little bit, and I think he felt a lot better after that… So, uh, yeah, we’ll know whether he’s available to start or at least to pinch hit. We’ll know more tomorrow.” This is huge news for the Phillies.

Bader is not just a defensive upgrade in center field; he has been a spark in the clubhouse, and he has been a solid bat this season. Bader’s absence was felt immediately from the roster, and getting him could be the game-changer. Plus, the Phillies are also facing a unique challenge or curse—given no team in franchise history has ever won a postseason series after dropping the first game. With Bader possibly back in the lineup, they at least have the chance to avoid repeating that postseason curse.

Max Muncy’s message to the Philadelphia Phillies Fans

The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a thrilling comeback as they took game 1 of the NL Division Series with a 5-3 win over the Phillies. And mind you—in the loud and notorious Citizens Bank Park. The atmosphere at that time was electric, and the Phillies’ home crowd made every inning feel like a spectacle. Until the seventh inning, of course, came up! This is when Teoscar Hernandez stepped up and changed everything.

Hernandez stepped up and launched a three-run homer with two outs. This completely flipped the game in the Dodgers’ favor, and the entire stadium that was buzzing went to hush mode. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy described the feeling as surreal, saying, “When you can hear a pin drop in the stadium, that’s the ultimate feeling in baseball. I felt like the people in the upper deck could hear us cheering in the dugout.”

Muncy added, “Something’s going to happen in this game that the crowd’s going to go wild for, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is what happens at the end, and when we silence the crowd, it’s going to be an amazing feeling.”

Game 1 was filled with drama to the brim, and the Dodgers came out on top despite all the odds. See, Citizens Bank Park has been a fortress for the Phillies in October. They boast the highest winning percentage among active postseason ballparks at .659. It’s only trailing behind the Mets at Shea and also the Cardinals at Busch Stadium II. For now, LA will want to carry this momentum forward and hope to quiet the crowd yet again.