Where’s the Phillies offense? | Extra Innings in Red October

It’s not an elimination game, but it will sure feel like it on Monday night. It’s already an uphill climb after losing Game 1 of the NLDS. Going down 0-2 and flying to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 at Dodger Stadium? Forget it. The Phils have the right guy on the mound on Monday in Jesús Luzardo (a Cy Young candidate if he didn’t have those terrible outings in May and June) and a chance to steady the series. They’ll need the offense to do its part.

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

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The one hit the Phillies received in Game 1 from their first four hitters was a ground ball single by Bryce Harper after the life had already been sucked out of Citizens Bank Park by another postseason bullpen flop.

The Phillies likely won’t fix their bullpen issues overnight so the best route to avoiding another late-game collapse is to score more runs. They’ll need more than 1-for-13 from Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm. They need their offense to carry them.

“It’s up to us to be able to make adjustments,” Schwarber said. “And go out there and do everything possible to put ourselves in a good position to win a baseball game.”

Shohei Ohtani struck out four times, and Mookie Betts went 0-for-5, but No. 3 hitter Teoscar Hernández delivered the gut punch in the seventh, and four-hole hitter Freddie Freeman worked a momentum-shifting walk in the sixth. The Dodgers got the production they needed from the top of their lineup.

“I thought we were missing pitches over the plate and chasing a little bit,” Harper said. “But I think we’re just missing pitches over the plate that we should’ve done damage on and just didn’t get it done.”

It was hard not to think about the team’s last two October dismissals during Game 1 as the offense went flat like the end of the NLCS vs. Arizona in 2023 and last year’s NLDS against the Mets. Like Game 1, those series included bullpen letdowns. But the real onus fell on the lineup, the superstar-laden unit constructed to hit when the lights are brightest. Everything felt familiar in Game 1. Monday is a chance to change the tone.

“As an offense, we have to do better and turn the page,” Harper said.

⚾️ Lean on Luzardo: Game 2 starter Jesus Luzardo got better the deeper he went into games this season. That bodes well for tonight.

🩻 Checking on Bader: The Phillies got good news from tests on Harrison Bader’s strained groin. Will he play tonight?

🛑 End of an era? David Murphy has some questions going into Game 2, including whether this run is over.

👀 Watch this: We asked our writers what they’re looking for in Game 2.

🎥 A perilous path: Scott Lauber has some thoughts about the rickety bridge leading to closer Jhoan Duran.

The Phillies saw Blake Snell in the postseason in 2022 when he started for San Diego in Game 2 of the NLCS, a game the Phillies lost. Seven Phillies — Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, Turner, Harper, Max Kepler, Schwarber, and Bohm — have faced Snell at least 10 times in the regular season over the years. They’ve combined to hit .152 against him in 99 at-bats. Only Realmuto (5-for-18 with two doubles and a homer) and Turner (4-for-17 with a double and triple) have had luck against Snell. The lefty had his best start of the season in September against the Phils (12 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings) and looked dominant against the Reds in the wild card. It’s going to be tough.

How conservative the Phillies approached Game 1. Rob Thomson said Sunday that there was nothing he would have wanted to redo about his bullpen usage in the sixth and seventh innings. Thomson said the Phillies “talked about that situation going into the game” and felt Robertson was the right call. I’m sure they did plan for that spot, but I doubt the Phils were counting on taking a three-run lead against Ohtani. That’s when the calculus should’ve changed and the Phils needed to go all in.

Dave Roberts did it by skipping the relievers he used in the regular season and going straight to Tyler Glasnow in the seventh inning. The playoffs — especially a series like this where it feels much bigger than a NLDS — are the time to be aggressive. It felt like the Phils treated this like it was June. They let Cristopher Sánchez face one batter too many and then let Robertson return for the seventh despite not finding the strike zone in the sixth. Thomson said Ranger Suárez was in the bullpen and available for Game 1. But he never warmed up. Maybe it’s a different story if he comes in for the sixth, stays for the seventh, and hands it to Matt Strahm in the eighth. If the Phils are going to rally, they’ll need to meet the moment.

Thomson said the Phillies will know more on Monday if Bader can play in Game 2. He said tests on Bader’s groin showed “no major tear or strain.” I’d still be surprised if Bader can play but it would be a huge swing if he’s in there on Monday night. Bader said before the game that “winning baseball is a universal language,” and “it’s certainly one I know how to speak.” Bader simply is a winning player and someone this team needs in the lineup in October. He made a terrific diving catch in the fifth and then got hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning to give the offense some life. He brings energy, does the little things, and seems to enjoy the big stage. It’s a big loss for the Phils if Bader is out for Game 2.

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