LOS ANGELES — Without a win or even a home run to discuss over the first two games of the National League Division Series, the Phillies discourse has had room to shift to more atmospheric concerns.
That’s bound to happen for a club that is 1-5 in the last six playoff games at a home park for which the allegedly hostile environment is a national talking point.
Wednesday in Los Angeles, that discussion was limited to whether a change of scenery might help.
“I hope so,” Trea Turner said before Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. “I don’t think it matters. You’ve got to play good, quality baseball this time of year. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. All these teams in the postseason are here for a reason. …
“I think that’s what it comes down to is executing. And we haven’t done a good job of that. We always want home-field advantage. We always feel we play better there. The record proves that. Do we want to be at home? Yes. But as far as being on the road, it’s the same game, and the same thing still applies. You’ve got to execute.”
There are certain attributes of the series that are location-agnostic. The Phillies’ top three hitters can’t go 2-for-21 if the series is held on the moon and expect the team to win, for instance.
They can’t regularly allow opposing starting pitchers under the bright lights of the postseason to get through six innings.
So whether, as Nick Castellanos said, “when the game is not going good, it’s wind in our face” at Citizens Bank Park or not, the Phillies need to be better.
The Dodgers have made Chavez Ravine inhospitable.
They beat up the Reds in two games in the Wild Card series. On the way to the world title last year, the Dodgers were 6-2 at home. That’s eight wins in the last 10 entering Wednesday.
“This place has an aura about it,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “It’s the biggest capacity in baseball. Everybody talks about it when you come here. The lights seem a little brighter. The music seems a little louder — that might actually be because it is a little louder. …
“We’ve heard other players all the time talk about how cool it is to come here and play. There’s just something about this place where it always just seems a little different.”
Whatever the setting, the Phillies have an idea of what needs to change.
“I don’t feel we’ve beaten ourselves, but we just haven’t done enough to win the games,” Turner said. “I think that’s what it comes down to is executing. And we haven’t done a good job of that.”
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Harrison Bader (hamstring) went through a pregame battery of tests Wednesday and wasn’t fit to start.
Brandon Marsh started in center field against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Max Kepler was in left, Nick Castellanos in right.
As for what Bader was capable of, Thomson offered, “Probably the same thing he did in Game 2.”
“I think there’s a little better chance that he would run for himself, but we don’t know 100 percent,” Thomson said. “That would kind of be a game-time decision, but he can pinch-hit for sure.”
Bader singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Game 2’s 4-3 loss. He had to be pinch-run for, which even with an expanded bench and lots of Dodgers lefties in the bullpen handcuffs Thomson’s ability to play matchups.
Thomson said there was no thought of using Bader as a designated hitter and putting Kyle Schwarber in the outfield.
Bader expressed optimism on Wednesday that he could contribute in some capacity. The current Phillies have seven hits all-time against Yamamoto, with Bader accounting for four in seven at-bats.
One player who has an idea of what Bader is going through is Turner, who battled a hamstring strain in September, returning for the final game of the regular season after nearly three weeks out.
“Harrison and I talked about it, and it’s just that balance of, am I good enough to help the team win,” Turner said. “And I think he’s kind of going through that. And I think the rest and off days has helped him a little bit. … But we all want to play. We all want to battle through injuries and contribute. And I think it’s up to him and the training staff and Rob to kind of decide where he’s at. But from talking to him, seems like he’s pretty excited. Sounds like it’s getting better.”
Turner, who had an RBI single and stole a base in Game 2, said he is feeling better, such that he forgot it was an issue.
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Thomson said he’d be looking batter-to-batter with Aaron Nola very early in Game 3, the righty given the start over Ranger Suarez.
Suarez will be ready very early on, though, if Nola gets into trouble, it might be a traditional reliever who cleans up the mess to get Suarez a clean inning.
“I’ll never say never, but I’d prefer to clean up an inning with somebody else,” Thomson said.
Suarez left his last outing of the regular season on Sept. 26 after getting hit with a liner to his thigh. He didn’t throw in the Oct. 1 intrasquad game and has been on-call though not used in Games 1 and 2. That’s made sneaking in side work difficult, though Thomson isn’t concerned.
“He’s been up on the mound a couple times,” Thomson said. “So I feel good about that. I think everybody knows Ranger. There’s not too much that bothers him. I have full confidence he’s ready to go.”
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Muncy and Will Smith both made their first starts of the series, Will Smith with improving health on his hand fracture suffered in September. That included a two-run single in Game 2.
Muncy has been on the bench with the Phillies starting lefties in Game 1 and Game 2. He’s in the lineup against Nola. Munch had a .923 OPS against righties this year and a .564 against lefties.
A healthy Smith batted fifth, with Muncy seventh. That dropped Tommy Edman into the nine hole.
Source: Berkshire mont
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