The Phillies Shot Themselves In The Nuts The Moment They Played Jhoan Duran's Entrance While Being Down By 2
Caean Couto. Getty Images.Jhoan Duran did his job last night. Before we go any further here, I just need to make it abundantly clear that this is not an anti-Duran blog. He faced 4 batters, he struck out the first 2, walked Ohtani, and then got Mookie Betts to ground out. Jhoan Duran came into the game desperately needing to get 3 outs without giving up any more runs, and he did exactly that.
But someone within the Phillies organization didn't do their job last night. Or at the very least, someone within the Phillies organization didn't turn on their goddamn brain last night. Because while Jhoan Duran's entrance is immaculately gratuitous, you simply cannot have him running onto the field with a giant light show and pyrotechnics going on behind him while the Phils are down by 2 in the top of the 9th. You just can't have this look.
How does nobody in charge here turn on their brain, realize the situation the Phillies have found themselves in, and just decide to scrap the entrance for that game. Heck, I'm sure it'll save them a few thousand dollars anyway.
You get out to a nice lead early in the game. You start to feel good about yourself. Then the bats go silent, the top of the order is nowhere to be found, the bullpen throws a few meatballs, next thing you know the Phillies have blown their lead and are staring down yet another soul crushing postseason loss at Citizens Bank Park. Just play some walk-out music for Duran and be done with it. You have to have more situational awareness than that. This has the same feel to it as when the Sixers had the early confetti drop against the Celtics in the playoffs all those years ago. Things like that just don't happen to championship worthy teams.
Sidenote: I don't know if I'm just getting old, but I'm also the same age as Bryce Harper so that can't be it. But I absolutely LOATHE the idea of him playing tummy sticks with Mookie Betts during this break in the bottom of the 8th.
I get that multimillionaire athletes are never going to actually care as much as the fans do. But for a guy who panders to Philly fans to such an excessive extent like Bryce does, you'd think he'd try to have that same fire in his belly as the fans. You'd think he would hate the Dodgers with a passion right now because they are the enemy. They are standing in his way of finally adding a World Series title to his name. He should want to burn the Dodgers to the ground. Instead, he's giggling and playing patty cake with Mookie Betts on 1st base right before Edmundo Sosa leaves the bases loaded to kill any sort of chance they had of a comeback. Gross.
