Can the Phillies Rebound in Game 6?
Game 5 of the 2022 World Series was brutal.
It was grueling.
It was awful.
Even though the Phillies were No-Hit the previous night, Game 5 felt a thousand times worst because it felt like they were one hit away from taking control of the game in every single inning. And every single time it didn’t work out.
In a series tied 2-2, Game 5 is obviously a huge swing game, especially with the series going back to Houston for Game 6 and potentially Game 7. In a playoff run where nearly game was magical, the magic came close in this game many times, but it never fully emerged. It was always snatched away from either a terrible at-bat or a divine defensive stop by Houston.
Willie Mays’ catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series?
Please, that was nothing compared to Chas McCormick’s miraculous catch against the outfield wall that most likely would have tied the game.
Keith Hernandez is the greatest defensive 1st basemen ever?
Yeah right, could Keith have made the play Trey Mancini made in the 8th inning that looked like a game-tying hit by Kyle Schwarber for a millisecond?
On a night where Justin Verlander was supposed to seal his legacy as the worst World Series pitcher in history, Kate Upton’s husband got left off the hook over and over again as the Phillies continued their brutal stretch with runners in scoring position.
Game 5 was like the clock striking midnight and the fancy carriage turning back into a pumpkin. The old Phillies we all fell-in-hate with returned. A brutal error, not coming through in key at-bats, a pitcher staying in a little too long and giving up a crushing home run.
The worst part was that the bullpen still remained solid and gave us hope. And as we’ve learned through life: ‘Tis better to have no hope at all then to have hoped and lost. Calling it a bitterly disappointing final home game of an incredible run is an understatement. Even though the series isn’t officially over, it sure felt like it after those two consecutive nights.
So now what?
The series isn’t over, and the Phillies will have another chance to get that third World Series game win we thought would come sooner. Only problem is that Game 6 is in Houston with all of the momentum on the Astros side. Zack Wheeler maybe on the mound, but after his Game 2 showing it seems we’re more likely to get a fatigued version of Wheeler with lower velocity. Like Nola, Wheeler pitched us to the playoffs and to the World Series, but both have pretty much run out of gas and don’t have much to give anymore.
The one silver lining is that Wheeler got an extra day of rest thanks to the rainout on Halloween night. He needs as much rest as possible. The problem with Game 6 is that Framber Valdez is pitching with the same amount of rest and he dominated in Game 2, pitching 6 innings while giving up just 1 run on 6 hits. Best case scenario is the Phillies win a tight pitching duel, but I don’t know if I can take another nail biter. So praying against the odds and I hope for a Phillies home run party like in Game 3, or just an easy win. Despite the odds I doubt Game 6 will be a party on the Astros front either. So if they are going to win their first legitimate World Series title, they’re going to have to earn it.
Crazier things have happened. In 2019 the Washington Nationals entered Game 6 of the World Series in Houston down 3-2 and improbably won both Games 6 and 7 to win the championship. It was in Houston where the Phillies pulled off their insane Game 1 comeback win. And if they manage to pull off Game 6, Ranger Suarez takes the mound for Game 7. At this point Ranger is the starting pitcher for the Phillies we trust in most, and we expect his heart rate to remain at 62 while pitching. But most importantly the Phillies offense has to wake up finally in Houston. Hopefully with a day off for travel the team is livid and ready to make big hits again.
As great as this ride to the World Series has been, if the Phillies can unleash that 2022 October magic for just two more games, we will be grateful beyond belief.