MLB Game 2 NLCS Postgame Notes

October 18, 2023

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GAME 2 NOTES

Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven Postseason series have gone on to win the series 75-of-89 times (84.2%), including 31-of-35 (88.6%) times in LCS play.
Philadelphia is up 2-0 in the NLCS for the second time in their 11 NLCS trips in franchise history…the only other time the Phillies were up 2-0 in a NLCS was in 2008 vs. LAD when they went on to advance (and eventually win) the World Series.
Arizona has lost each of its last six NLCS contests after tonight’s defeat (both games in this LCS so far plus four games in the 2007 NLCS when they were swept by Colorado).
With today’s win by the Phillies, teams are 19-7 this Postseason when scoring first.
Teams are also now 17-2 this Postseason when out-homering their opponent after Philadelphia’s win tonight.
The Phils 10-0 win today is their second-largest shutout win in Postseason history behind an 11-0 win in Game 3 of the 2009 NLCS vs. the Dodgers.

THE SCHWARBERNATOR

Kyle Schwarber hit his second and third home runs of the Postseason tonight with his two solo shots.
The multi-homer game is the first of Schwarber’s Postseason career.
Schwarber’s multi-homer game was the 12th multi-homer game by a Phillie during Postseason play and the third by a Phillie during LCS play all-time…the other two were by Rhys Hoskins (Game 4 of the 2022 NLCS vs. SD) and Jayson Werth (Game 5 of the 2009 NLCS vs. LAD).
With his two homers tonight, Schwarber now has 18 career Postseason home runs, tied with Reggie Jackson for most by a left-handed hitter in
Postseason history (ESPN Stats & Info).

NOLA TIME:

Aaron Nola spun 6.0 innings of shutout ball tonight for the Phillies, lowering his ERA this Postseason to 0.96 (2er, 18.2ip).
Tonight marked Nola’s fifth career Postseason start here at home…in those five starts, Nola now has a 1.57 ERA…the Phils are 4-1 in those five outings.
With tonight’s win, the Phillies improved to 8-0 in Nola’s last eight home starts here dating to August 10 in the regular season (five regular season starts and three Postseason outings)…Nola has a 1.85 ERA (10er, 48.2ip) in that time.

WE GOIN’ BIG (FLY)

Philadelphia clubbed three homers tonight, giving them 19 this Postseason to lead all teams.
Of the 19 homers by the Phils this Postseason, 16 have been solo shots…in fact, each of their last 13 homers have been solo shots (including all three tonight)…the Phils last homer with at least one runner on base came from Bryce Harper in Game 3 of the NLDS vs. Atlanta (a three-run shot off Bryce Elder in the 3rd).
With three more homers tonight the Phillies have now hit 15 in their last four games, most in a four-game span by any team in Postseason history.
Through their first eight games this Postseason, the Phils have hit 19 homers…only the 2021 Red Sox (20) and 2004 Astros (20) hit more through their first eight Postseason games.
With Kyle Schwarber’s multi-homer effort tonight, the Phillies now have had four individual multi-homer games this Postseason (Castellanos in Games 3 & 4 of the NLDS and Harper in Game 3 of the NLDS)…that’s tied for the most by any team in a single Postseason with the 2009 Phillies and the 2002 Angels.
Since last Postseason, the Phillies have outhomered their opponents 35-9 in this ballpark.

PHILS PITCHING

The Phillies staff tossed their second shutout of the Postseason with tonight’s 10-0 win.
In the process, they lowered their team ERA to 1.39 this Postseason through their first eight games.
Philadelphia’s two shutout wins this season are tied with the 2010 team for second-most by a Phillies squad in a single Postseason…only last year’s Phils squad had more in a single Postseason (three).
Phillies starters have a 1.55 ERA this Postseason (8er, 46.1ip), have struck out 51 and walked just four…Phils starters have not walked a batter in their last three games (17.0 innings), last issuing a walk in Game 3 of the NLDS vs. Atlanta.

TREA DAY:

Trea Turner started the scoring this evening with his solo homer in the 1st inning off Merrill Kelly.
With the homer, Turner has now hit safely in each of his first eight games to begin this Postseason…the last Phillie to hit in each of his first eight games of a single Postseason was Ryan Howard to start the 2009 Postseason.

CITIZENS BANK SPARK:

Philadelphia improved to 28-11(.718) in playoff home games here at Citizens Bank Park since they played their first one here in 2007…in 13 NLCS games at this facility, the Phils are now 11-2.
The Phils .718 win % here in this facility during the Postseason is the highest of any team in any ballpark in Postseason history (min. 20 games played at the facility).
The Phillies are 6-0 at Citizens Bank Park this year during Postseason play and have outscored opponents 39-8 (+31 run differential).
Philadelphia has now won 11 straight Postseason games against the National League at home, the longest such streak by either the NL or the AL against its own league in MLB history.

KETEL MARTE:

Ketel Marte secured a hit today and has now hit safely in each of his first 11 career Postseason games, becoming the ninth player in Postseason history to do so.
The other eight are ATL’s Marquis Grissom (hit safely in his first 15 career Postseason games), PHI’s Greg Luzinski (first 13 games), TEX’s Elvis Andrus (first 12 games), TEX’s Nelson Cruz (first 12 games), ANA’s Darin Erstad (first 12 games), MIL’s Orlando Arcia (first 11 games), TOR’s Roberto Alomar (first 11 games) and NYY’s Thurman Munson (first 11 games).

GABRIEL MORENO

C Gabriel Moreno (23 years, 245 days) became the youngest D-Backs catcher to record a caught stealing in a Postseason game when he threw out Bryce Harper trying to steal in the bottom of the 1st inning)…he is the fifth overall D-Backs catcher to log a caught stealing in the Postseason, joining Rod Barajas (2), Damian Miller (2), Chad Moeller (1) and Chris Iannetta (1).
Furthermore, Moreno became the sixth youngest catcher in the last 40 years to record a caught stealing in a Postseason behind Yadier Molina (22 years, 96 days), Hector Sanchez (22 years, 336 days), Buster Posey (23 years, 207 days), Russell Martin (23 years, 234 days) and Derek Norris (23 years, 235 days) (Elias).

D-BACKS HOME RUNS

The D-Back failed to homer tonight after being shut out by Phillies pitching…it snapped a 17-game Postseason streak with at least one homer for the D-Backs that dated to Game 3 of the 2007 NLCS…the 17-game Postseason streak with at least one homer is the second-longest in MLB Postseason history behind a 23-game streak from the Yankees from 2019-2022.

D-BACKS BLANKED

Tonight marked the first time in Postseason history that the Diamondbacks were shut out…they had scored at least one run in each of their previous 46 Postseason games in team history prior to tonight…the 46-game streak without being blanked was the second-longest active streak in the Majors behind Minnesota’s current 67-game streak.