Phils fans feel ‘hopeless’ after the team’s 4-3 loss in Game 2 of the NLDS
The Phils aren’t out of the National League division series — yet — but optimism is hard to come by.
How did Phillies fans leaving Citizens Bank Park after the team’s 4-3 loss in Game 2 feel?
Michael Rodriguez summed it up succinctly.
“Bad,” said Michael, 7, who begged his dad, Joe, to buy him a ticket so he could see his first playoff game.
“The energy is sucked right out of here,” Joe Rodriguez said. “Everyone is in a funk. Going back to LA, I feel like we’re hopeless.”
By the eighth inning, the Phils’ anemic offense upset Michael so much he had to leave his seat.
“He said, ‘Dad, this is embarrassing — let’s go,’” said Joe Rodriguez.
There was a restless energy in the ballpark for much of the game. When the lights dimmed and flames shot into the sky, signaling the entrance of Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth, there were some scattered boos and a crowd incredulous that the team was turning to theatrics when it was down 4-1.
The Phils aren’t out of the National League division series — yet — but the Rodriguezes don’t have a good feeling, they said.
“If we can’t win, they’re breaking up this team,” Joe Rodriguez said. “We need a shake-up. The Dodgers paid all that money — I hope [Phillies owner John] Middleton is willing to open his checkbook.”
As the game progressed, fans got quieter — perking up in the ninth, when their team mounted a three-run rally, but deflating to the point that it felt like a funeral when Dodgers’ closer Roki Sasaki notched the final out of the game.
Brianna Ventresca and Jenn Corkery watched as fans streamed toward exits and the grounds crew raked dirt after what could be the final home game of 2025, with the Phils on the brink of elimination.
“They should have won this one,” said Ventresca, 35. “They should have won on Saturday, too. They’re the better team.”
It was Ventresca’s and Corkery’s first-ever playoff game, and they had high hopes.
“The vibes were great,” said Ventresca, who had turned her cap inside out after the Dodgers put four runs on the board to take a commanding lead. “But the ending was not.”
Addison Reyes, who came to the game from Northeast Philadelphia with his dad and brother, lingered in the stands until security told the trio they were closing the section.
The game felt very Philadelphia, said Reyes. “They love to make us think we’re going to win, and then they pull the rug out from under us.”