Once dominant in the NL East, the Phillies are now fumbling in October,  with a 2–9 record in their past 11 playoff games. The latest loss came against the reigning World Series champions, the LA Dodgers, in Game 2. Reason? Rob Thomson’s controversial call in the ninth inning not only failed on the diamond, it also caused a live meltdown on NBC’s Phillies Postgame Live, showing flaws in strategy under the biggest lights.

The moment in question came with the Phillies trailing by one run in the bottom of the ninth. Nick Castellanos stood on second with nobody out, the exact scenario teams dream about. Rob Thomson called for a bunt from Bryson Stott instead of letting him swing away. The Dodgers read it perfectly. Max Muncy charged hard, fielded cleanly, and fired to third, gunning down Castellanos. The rally died right there, and Los Angeles closed out the 4-3 victory with two more outs.

That decision led to a heated live debate between NBC Sports Philadelphia commentators. In a video from Jomboy Media posted on Instagram with a caption, “The boys are fighting,” the panel disagreed over Thomson’s late-game strategies. In that one analyst insisted, “He could have pinch run.” Another voice insisted, “He could not have pinch run the guy because he had to hold on Bader.” The argument got more heated as they spoke over whether Thomson should have let Bader go or had the Dodgers do something else.

Rob Thomson, for his part, had his reasons. His plan was to catch the Dodgers off guard by having a left-on-left bunt. He wanted to tie the game and then trust his bullpen to do better than the Dodgers in extra innings. He also talked about Mookie Betts, saying that the Gold Glove outfielder “broke so late that it was tough for Stott to pick it up” on the wheel play.

Betts’ defensive instincts were crucial. His late break effectively hid what the Dodgers were going to do, making it almost impossible for Stott to pull back. That brief pause was all Los Angeles needed to pull off the play that put an end to Philadelphia’s aspirations of coming back.

After the game, Thomson defended his decisions, but he also said that he was in a tough spot. “I love the fight in the eighth and ninth innings. They fought like hell, and hopefully that carries over into Wednesday. But this is a resilient group; our backs are against the wall. I thought Stottie laid down a good bunt, but it’s the way it is. We knew that we were gonna probably pinch-hit with Bader.

He further added, “We need to have Willie there. Plus, if you pinch-run Willie for Castellanos and then Bader hits, you have no one to run for him, and you don’t have another outfielder. So, kinda hands were tied. Yeah, I mean, you’d like those guys to be swinging the bats, but I do like what we’re doing at the bottom part of the order.”

For the Phillies, Game 3 on Wednesday has now become a do-or-die match. They’re one loss away from getting eliminated and 3 wins away from taking one step closer to the World Series. It will be an interesting watch, not only does the skipper need to make some precise decisions, but the offence has to do their best.

While Rob Thomson might be standing tall by his decision, the conversation in the clubhouse has shifted. Inside the dugout, the fierce sluggers have started to take accountability for their poor play in October.

Honest talk of Harper and Schwarber after a tough loss

Kyle Schwarber said Monday night after a 4–3 setback that sent the Phillies to the bottom of a two-games-to-none canyon, “Postseason baseball is never easy.” The Phillies’ DH knows all about that, and why wouldn’t he? This is his 11th year in the big leagues, and he has played in October in 10 of them.

He also remarked, “Obviously, the writing’s on the wall. But I feel like if we can take one game, then it’s a one-game task. So, then it’s time to go from there. We know that we’re going to have nine innings of baseball in LA, at the minimum, so we got to take it from there.”

Bryce Harper echoed Schwarber’s words. He didn’t shy away from addressing the problems. “I just think we’re missing pitchers over the plate. They’re making good pitches when they need to.” Harper also remarked, “Obviously, I’ve got to do a better job with guys on base. I mean, I had a couple opportunities myself and didn’t get it done. It’s got to be better. We got our work cut out for us.”

The skipper sees the pressure his star players are feeling. When asked, Rob Thomson about the recent performances, he said, “I think those guys are trying to do a little too much right now. Instead of just being themselves and looking for base hits. The power will come.”

Harper and Schwarber’s self-awareness, along with Rob Thomson’s calm steadiness, is now their guide for how to stay alive. Harper said, “We understand that we’re a good team. Anything can happen in the next couple of days.” Indeed, it can.