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Baseball Can Rip Your Heart Out, and it Did on Thursday Night
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
Losing sucks. Nobody wants to do it. When it happens on a walkoff error for your seven-month journey to come to an abrupt end in the National League Division Series, it’s unfathomable pain and sadness.
Orion Kerkering put his hands on his knees as he realized the season came to an end after he sailed one over JT Realmuto’s head. He could’ve gone to first base; he knows that. He thought the throw to home was quicker.
Realmuto, the leader of this team, ran right to Kerkering. Nick Castellanos sprinted in from the outfield and put his hand on his shoulder. The Phillies had their reliever’s back. They’re a tight-knit group that has once again fallen short of the ultimate goal.
This time, it feels a little different.
Big names are now free agents. Kyle Schwarber, Realmuto, Ranger Suarez. The stars of this team aren’t getting any younger. Thursday night felt like the end of something.
“I mean, when this happens, it’s like your entire world comes to a stop,” Rob Thomson said about Thursday night’s gut-wrenching season finale. “It’s just a thud. It’s just not a good feeling…we expected a lot more…I’m not even thinking about it (Thomson’s future with the team). I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. So I’m thinking about that more so than my job right now.”
Thomson took over for Joe Girardi in the summer of 2022. Not many managers in Phillies history have a better regular-season record over a 3.5-year period than he does. This is one of the most successful eras in the history of the Phillies franchise, despite not winning a World Series.
“I love Topper, man,” said Bryce Harper. “He’s done a great job for us. I don’t know what the future holds. I have no idea. I think that’s a Dombrowski question. But obviously, you know we love Topper in here. He’s been great for us.”
If you don’t hit, you don’t win.
Sure, Kerkering throwing that ball to first base sends Thursday’s game to the 12th inning.
Sure, if Jhoan Duran doesn’t walk a run in, maybe the Phillies win that game.
Sure, maybe if the home-plate umpire didn’t blow that 2-2 pitch from Cristopher Sanchez, the Dodgers’ tying run never scores.
They’re all hypotheticals. What isn’t a hypothetical is a missing offense in the biggest game of the season.
The Phillies had four hits in 11 innings. They struck out 12 times. Two of those hits came from the 6-hole, JT Realmuto, and the 8-hole, Nick Castellanos. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh combined to go 2 for 21 with six strikeouts. That will never win you a ballgame.
No matter your opinion on who should return and who shouldn’t, it’s hard to think about this team looking different. This is truly the first offseason of this era where that’s a possibility. Everyone in the clubhouse knows it. Suarez, who has been with the Phillies organization since he was 15, was one of the last players in the dugout. He can’t imagine himself playing anywhere else, but he knows free agency can be crazy. This could be a life-changing offseason for Suarez.
Thursday night was the most emotional we’ve ever seen Schwarber, who hit 56 home runs in the regular season and willl hit the free agent market for the first time since the offseason going into 2022. His lip quivered for 90 seconds as he answered about the bond of this team, the heartbreaking ending, and his future in Philadelphia.
Baseball can rip your heart out. It’s not like any other sport. You watch the same players trot out there 162 different times, and that’s before the postseason. You live and die with every pitch. When a 7-month journey crumbles on a comebacker to the pitcher’s mound, it’s a different feeling than anyone has ever experienced.
“Deep down in my heart, I thought this was the team that was going to do it.” – Kyle Schwarber
Luke Arcaini writes about the Phillies for Crossing Broad, covers the Phillies for FOX Sports The Gambler, and co-hosts "Phillies Digest" on YouTube. The wave is the worst thing in all of sports. Contact: lukearcaini8@gmail.com