2022 MLB Playoffs: Phillies survive their own defense once more in Game 3

By Jake Mintz
FOX Sports MLB Writer

PHILADELPHIA — Nobody is perfect. We all have flaws. Those Philadelphia Phillies, they’re just like us.

All year, Philadelphia has been a team outrunning its own shortcomings. As a unit, Philly’s defense ranked 28th in baseball in the regular season, ahead of the pointless Rockies and rudderless White Sox. Even as they galloped past the Cardinals and Braves to the NLCS, the Phillies defense was less crisp than a donut in the rain.

A crucial Rhys Hoskins misplay in Game 2 of the NLDS against Atlanta led to the winning run in a Phillies loss. A game later, an Alec Bohm throwing error gave the Braves an early scoring chance. Later on, Hoskins dropped a simple throw at first base. Then again, nobody remembered that one because earlier in the game, he took Citizens Bank Park to the moon with the bat-spike of the century.

That has been the story of the Phillies’ season, and now, it’s the story of their postseason. Dominant starting pitching, a few badass relievers, timely hitting and pizza-roll-just-out-the-oven-level hot Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Let's be honest: That was the plan from the jump. This was never meant to be a team full of Ozzie Smiths and Torii Hunters; speed and defense weren't part of the equation.

After all, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski didn’t shell out $179 million to Schwarber and Nick Castellanos because he thought they were going to win Gold Gloves. No, these Phillies were built to be a squadron of big, lumbering lads who get on base and bash enough to make everyone forget how clueless they look with the leather.

Friday night was more of the same. The Phillies treated the baseball like a hot potato — and won anyway.

For the critical Game 3 of this NLCS, Philly sent young left-hander Ranger Suárez to the hill for the start. If mixing the sinker-balling Suárez, who ranked fourth in baseball in groundball rate, with the Phillies butterfinger infield defense sounds like a recipe for disaster, well, it was!

In the fourth inning, a double-play turn from Jean Segura would've ended the frame scoreless had the Phillies second baseman held on to the baseball. He didn't. Bryson Stott's flip from shortstop nicked the edge of Segura's glove, allowing Juan Soto to score and tying the game at one. If "here we go again" has a smell, Citizens Bank Park reeked of it.

"That's a play that I probably made 3,000 times in my life," Segura admitted postgame. "But for some reason, I missed it."

In the bottom half of the inning, Segura redeemed himself with a two-run, two-out single that put Philly back in front. 

But two frames later, the defense manufactured yet another yakety sax moment when Hoskins biffed a routine Trent Grisham chopper down the first-base line. The ball caromed off Hoskins’ glove toward the side wall for a two-base error. Grisham came around to score two batters later after a pair of groundouts. A few scattered boos rained down on Hoskins.

After the game in the home clubhouse, Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson found Hoskins by his locker.

"Just wanna make sure you’re good," Dickerson said. "Remember, we wouldn’t be here if not for you."

In the end, Hoskins’ oopsie-daisies couldn’t dampen the mood. The 45,279 in attendance had happy drives home. Segura and Stott turned a timely double-play in the sixth to wriggle out of a jam. San Diego couldn’t score against the José Alvarado-Seranthony Dominguez duo. Four runs proved enough for the home team. 

Afterward, Hoskins leaned back in his chair and enjoyed a cold beverage. For another night, the roller-coaster ride was worth the ticket.

Moving forward, there’s no reason to expect anything to change. This is who the Phillies are. Hoskins isn’t going to get any better at defense between now and the end of October. At this point, the blemishes aren’t worth papering over or zeroing in on. They’re to be cherished, understood, taken into account, worked around.

From the fan perspective, it’s a bit like watching a college team. Every batted ball is cause for bated breath. Nothing is routine; nothing can be taken for granted. It’s nine Houdinis with baseball gloves. How will the Phillies wriggle their way out of the next one? Tune in to FOX at 7:45 p.m. ET Saturday to find out! It’s sure to be an exhilarating watch for the neutral fan and flat-out unhealthy for the collective blood pressure of Philadelphia!

Despite all that, somehow, the Phillies are up 2-1 in the NLCS. They’ve yet to experience a true blunder from Castellanos or Schwarber (and on the other side, Soto has made enough outfield dingleberries for a whole season). Stott has been reliable at shortstop. Segura bounced back from his error Friday. The catcher is still J.T. Realmuto. Things are good.

Now, if the Phillies slip past San Diego into the World Series, they can’t afford to play BungleBall against the Astros. Or maybe they can! They’ve done it to this point. 

That’s a mystery for the future to unravel.

Jake Mintz, the louder half of @CespedesBBQ is a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.