The Dodgers executed, and the Phillies didn’t. That was the story of Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.
You can argue the pros and cons of a sacrifice bunt — especially with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and the tying run on second base — but let’s table that discussion and focus instead on the execution.
I don’t take issue with Bryson Stott dropping the bunt in that spot. Max Muncy made a perfect throw, and Mookie Betts delivered an outstanding chase tag to erase Nick Castellanos at third.
The problem wasn’t the call — it was the execution. Betts wasn’t holding Castellanos close at second base, leaving plenty of room for a bigger lead, but Castellanos hesitated and broke late. In that instance, Castellanos should have broken for third as soon as Betts did. By the time Stott’s bunt rolled up the third-base line, Betts already had a head start. Ideally, Castellanos mirrors Betts on that play, moving as soon as the ball drops. If he reads it right and they throw to third, the Phillies have runners on first and second. If he reads the wheel correctly, he can also retreat to an uncovered second base. Instead, the late read resulted in an out at third — and a critical opportunity wasted.
“They couldn’t have run it any better,” Stott said afterward.
One can certainly argue the Phillies should have let Stott swing away in that situation — a base hit could have evened the game — but manager Rob Thomson saw it differently.
I don’t take issue with Bryson Stott dropping the bunt in that spot. Max Muncy made a perfect throw, and Mookie Betts delivered an outstanding chase tag to erase Nick Castellanos at third.
The problem wasn’t the call — it was the execution. Betts wasn’t holding Castellanos close at second base, leaving plenty of room for a bigger lead, but Castellanos hesitated and broke late. In that instance, Castellanos should have broken for third as soon as Betts did. By the time Stott’s bunt rolled up the third-base line, Betts already had a head start. Ideally, Castellanos mirrors Betts on that play, moving as soon as the ball drops. If he reads it right and they throw to third, the Phillies have runners on first and second. If he reads the wheel correctly, he can also retreat to an uncovered second base. Instead, the late read resulted in an out at third — and a critical opportunity wasted.
“They couldn’t have run it any better,” Stott said afterward.
One can certainly argue the Phillies should have let Stott swing away in that situation — a base hit could have evened the game — but manager Rob Thomson saw it differently.
The Dodgers cut down the potential tying run at third base! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/eDHzvZYVha
— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2025
“I liked where our bullpen was as compared to theirs,” Thomson said. “We play for the tie at home. … Mookie [Betts] did a great job of disguising the wheel play. We teach our guys that if you see the wheel, just pull it back and slash because you've got all kinds of room in the middle. But Mookie broke so late that it was tough for Stott to pick it up.”
Castellanos found himself in another tough spot earlier in the seventh, this time in right field. Freddie Freeman hit what should’ve been a routine single to right, but hustled out of the box and turned it into a double. Castellanos, rather than firing to second, lobbed the ball softly to Bryce Harper — who was in cutoff position in case there was a play at the plate. The problem? There was never going to be a play at the plate. Teoscar Hernández, who opened the frame with a single, was already coasting into third. The cautious throw allowed Freeman to slide safely into scoring position — and he’d come around to score later in the inning on Will Smith’s two-run single to left.
In a game defined by small edges and split-second decisions, those two moments loomed large. Castellanos’ bat wasn’t the issue — it was the hesitation. And in October, that kind of detail can tilt a series.
Now the Phillies’ margin for error has evaporated. Thomson is turning to Aaron Nola for a must-win Game 3. Sure, Nola looked spectacular in his final regular-season start — eight innings, two hits, one run, and nine strikeouts — but that came against a Twins lineup made up largely of minor leaguers. On the year, he’s 5–10 with a 6.01 ERA.
So, where is Ranger Suárez?
Thomson insists Suárez is healthy but said he’s going with Nola because the right-hander has never pitched out of the bullpen, while Suárez has. That may be true — but Suárez also owns a 1.43 ERA across 37⅔ postseason innings and has consistently been one of the Phillies’ most reliable October arms.
It’s not a reckless decision, but it’s a curious one. In a series already teetering, leaning on a struggling Nola over a proven postseason arm like Suárez — while the heart of the lineup goes silent — feels like a move guided more by routine than by rhythm. And October rarely rewards comfort.
And even with the rotation questions, the bigger issue is the offense. The top of the order — Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Harper — is just 2-for-21 in the series. Turner grounded out with the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth inning Monday, and Harper stranded multiple runners in his final two at-bats.
The 2015 Blue Jays are the last team to do what the Phillies now hope to do — win three straight to steal a best-of-five series.
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