Discontent in the City of Brotherly Love.
The NBC Sports Philadelphia postgame show erupted into a screaming match after the Phillies lost to the Dodgers, 4-3, in Game 2 on Monday and fell into a 2-0 NLDS hole.
The argument stemmed from a disagreement with the managerial decisions of Rob Thomson during the ninth inning, when the Phillies were rallying and looked ripe to tie the game.
Bryson Stott was given the signal to bunt against lefty pitcher Alex Vesia with slow-footed outfielder Nick Castellanos on second base with no outs in a 4-3 game.
The play did not work, as Stott bunted and the Dodgers tagged Castellanos at third base for the first out.
Harrison Bader then pinch hit for Brandon Marsh and laced a single, giving the Phillies runners on first and second with one out.
Weston Wilson then replaced Bader, who has been dealing with an ongoing hamstring injury, with the team not wanting to further aggravate the issue.
“What Rob Thomson did was not a pinch run,” Michael Barkann said on the postgame show, calling for Thomson to pinch run for Castellanos. “He bunted with Stott when he could have pinch run.”
“He could not have pinch run the guy because he had to hold for [Harrison] Bader. Bader could not run the bases,” ex-Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr rebutted to Barkann.
“Ruben, I would have let Bader walk,” Barkann angrily replied as the argument escalated. “Let him walk to second, the run scores! The man would have been done if he would’ve had to run. I wouldn’t have had him run, but that’s how you gotta be thinking. Come on.”
Thomson defended his bunting decision postgame.
“Just left on left. Trying to tie the score,” Thomson said. “I liked where our bullpen was at based on, as compared to theirs. We play for the tie at home.”
The Dodgers then brought in Roki Sasaki, who closed the game out for the Dodgers’ ninth straight victory.
Philadelphia faces elimination Wednesday when it sends Aaron Nola to the mound for a do-or-die Game 3 in Los Angeles.
