The clubhouse mantra that has the Phillies crushing D-backs pitching in this NLCS
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — For 2½ rounds in the 2023 MLB playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ offense has been an unstoppable machine, scoring 46 runs in eight games.
But that wasn’t always the case.
After an inconsistent regular season, Phillies hitters got together shortly after securing a postseason bid and decided that the arrival of playoff baseball meant they would need to put together better at-bats. And a funny thing happened after they focused on making pitchers work more throughout October: The home runs started to come in bunches.
In two dominating victories over the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the NLCS, the long balls have come often — and early. First there was a three-home run onslaught in the first three innings of the series opener, then another trio of long balls in a 10-0 Game 2 blowout. It’s on the strength of that dominating offense that the Phillies leave for Arizona with a commanding 2-0 lead.
“The focus is there,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said Tuesday. “The intent is there. We’re not chasing as much as we did early in the season. We’re trying to cut down our swings and just put the ball in play. Then you turn around and we’re hitting home runs all over the field and these guys are doing a ton of damage.”
The results have been stunning. The Phillies have hit 19 home runs in their eight playoff games, 15 in their past four and six in the first two games of the NLCS, The plan laid out in hitters’ meetings going into the series was simple: Be ready to hit, and don’t let a good pitch go by you.
“Look for center cut and react to everything,” assistant hitting coach Jason Camilli said after Game 1. “That’s pretty much what the game plan was.”
According to ESPN Stats & Information, their plan has resulted in six home runs hit this postseason coming off the first pitch of an AB, four on the second, three on the third and four more on the fourth. The Phillies aren’t waiting around. And 12 of the 19 have come off fastballs or related hard pitches such as cutters and sinkers.
“Overall, they did an unbelievable job of executing the game plan,” Camilli said.
No one has taken to it more than the heart and soul of the Phillies, leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber, who belted his 49th and 50th home runs of 2023 in Game 2 off starter Merrill Kelly — one day after he opened Game 1 with a first-pitch blast off Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen that immediately set the tone at a rocking Citizens Bank Park.
Known by his teammates as Mr. 1-0 because of his propensity to give the Phillies a lead on the first at-bat of the game, Schwarber can ignite the dugout. His at-bats — like those of teammate Bryce Harper, who also went deep in the first inning of the series opener — have everyone in the Phillies dugout watching on the edge of their seat.
“It’s bonkers in there,” backup catcher Garrett Stubbs said. “Some of them look like missiles and some are colossal. He had both on Tuesday. We loved it.”
Schwarber has the reputation of a free swinger — and his 47 regular-season home runs did come with an MLB-high 215 strikeouts — but he says that all-or-nothing approach is not what the Phillies are all about.
“I think that’s something everyone is misconstruing,” Schwarber said. “We’re not just saying swing at everything. We’re trying to get good pitches to hit. That’s all we’re trying to do. We’re not going up there to wildly hack. … I’m looking for a pitch in a spot. If not, I’m going to work an at-bat. I’m not up there automatically swinging.”
Camilli calls it “selective-aggressive,” and the selective part of that equation has been obvious: The Phillies have dropped their chase rate — 26th in MLB during the regular season — five points, from 31% to 26%.
During the two consecutive early power surges that left two of the NL’s best pitchers reeling, the mantra for the Phillies was repeated throughout the clubhouse: Be ready to hit.
It’s not about getting ready in the batter’s box in the allotted time the pitch clock allows — it’s a mindset when you walk up to the plate. Pitchers like to throw early strikes. Hitters need to hit them. It’s as simple as that.
“Those guys that challenge you are fun,” shortstop Trea Turner said. “The best ones throw strikes. At this time of year, you’re going to get strikes. The best starting pitchers in the game have swing and miss stuff in the zone so we happened not to miss those pitches that they’ve left in the middle of the plate.”
Turner took a page out of Schwarber’s book in Game 2, hitting a first inning home run, beginning the eventual rout. Before the night began, he called the team’s hitting philosophy ”old school.”
“It’s less information in a good way,” he explained. “We have all the information. We have everything we need, but we’ve got a lineup of guys that just want to hit and play baseball. I think that’s refreshing as well. Sometimes you can get caught up a lot in the video or the numbers and different things, and I think throughout the season, we’ve kind of learned what we like and what we don’t like.”
“We’re talking in the dugout,” Stubbs said. “It’s the postseason. These guys know how to take playoff at-bats. I can’t believe how good the at-bats have been.”
It starts in the hitter’s meetings where it’s a ”communal” effort, according to Stubbs. Anyone can speak up, and the goal is to come up with a specific plan for the opposing pitcher, seeking out specific tendencies, like they did against Gallen in Game 1.
“The main thing that we talked about that translated into the game was when there’s runners on be ready to hit because he has that quick slide step,” third baseman Alec Bohm said. “And from what we saw from other teams facing him recently, they weren’t on the fastball. They were late.”
Talk about it, take it into the game, light up the scoreboard. It has worked so far for the Phillies, who won again Tuesday as Mr. 1-0 helped them to the 2-0 series lead.
“As a catcher, I know what the opposing pitcher and catcher are thinking about all day long before a game,” Realmuto said of Schwarber. “Even the night before. They’re worried about that first at-bat. They’re worried about the first pitch. They have anxiety.
“He’s ready to hit.”
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
Mack Brown told ESPN on Saturday he’s not resigning after an emotional locker room scene with his players following North Carolina’s embarrassing 70-50 loss to James Madison, which is in only its third season as an FBS school.
Brown, a College Football Hall of Famer, said he told the players that it was his fault and would step away if he couldn’t get things fixed. The 70 points were the most ever given up by the Tar Heels, who fell to 3-1.
“I’m not resigning. I’ll be back at work Monday,” Brown told ESPN.
Brown, 73, is in his sixth season at North Carolina. He told ESPN he was aware of some reports and that messages in emotional locker rooms can be misconstrued, but was adamant that he’s not stepping down.
Brown has led UNC to winning records in four of his five seasons. The Tar Heels won eight games last season and nine the season before when they finished first in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Brown was at Texas for 16 seasons and won a national championship in 2005 and played for another in 2009. He resigned under pressure following the 2013 season, and after taking a break from coaching, returned in 2019 to North Carolina for his second stint in Chapel Hill. Brown was North Carolina’s coach from 1988 to 1997.
The Tar Heels travel to rival Duke next Saturday.
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan kept pounding the ball and pounding the ball. And when it mattered most, No. 11 USC couldn’t stop it.
Powered by running back Kalel Mullings, who scored the winning touchdown in the final seconds, the defending national champion Wolverines rumbled to a 27-24 victory in their Big Ten opener Saturday.
“That’s a representation of who we are,” Mullings said of Michigan’s run-heavy game plan. “Just grit and grinding up … grinding meat that whole time.”
The Wolverines rushed for 290 yards, including 79 on the final drive. Mullings got all eight carries and broke through a pair of tackles for a 63-yard run that put Michigan in the red zone. He finished off the drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge on fourth-and-goal with 37 seconds remaining.
“A will to not give in,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said of his senior back. “A will to want it more than them. To want it more than the man who’s trying to tackle him.”
The No. 18 Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) prevailed despite passing for only 32 yards, their fewest in a game since 1987, according to ESPN Research. Michigan’s 32 yards through the air were the fewest by any FBS team in a win over a top-15 opponent since 2014, when Florida beat Georgia with 27 rushing yards.
“Love it,” said Moore, a former college offensive lineman at Oklahoma. “You want to throw the ball, but when you can run the ball effectively, you bring [the defense] down.”
Mullings finished with a career-high 159 yards on 17 rushes, scoring another touchdown in the first quarter with a 53-yard dash through the middle of the USC defense.
Donovan Edwards added 74 yards on the ground, including a 41-yard touchdown run. But his fumble in the fourth quarter gave USC (2-1, 0-1) the ball deep in Michigan territory, and Miller Moss‘ 24-yard touchdown toss to Ja’Kobi Lane handed the Trojans their first lead of the game with just over 7 minutes to go.
Michigan turned back to Mullings the rest of the way. And Moore said the Wolverines put the game in the hands of Mullings and the offensive line, especially on fourth-and-goal.
“The game’s on the line,” Moore said, “whatcha gonna do?”
Mullings followed fullback Max Bredeson, who delivered the kickout block, clearing the way for Mullings to barrel in for the winning score.
“We knew we were going to get it,” quarterback Alex Orji said. “That was just confidence. Do or die, backs against the wall.”
The Wolverines changed starting quarterbacks this week, moving from Davis Warren to Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend against Arkansas State. Orji had only seven career passing attempts coming into the game, and attempted only 12 passes against USC, completing seven of them. But Orji rushed for 43 yards, giving the Wolverines an offensive identity they had been lacking, especially in a 31-12 loss to Texas in their second game.
Michigan rushed for 199 yards in the first half alone, the most USC had surrendered in a first half since Lincoln Riley became its coach in 2022.
“Schematically, we knew they were going to run the ball,” USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said, “and it was just mano a mano who could win — and they just did.”
With an inexperienced quarterback, Moore said he challenged his team to be more physical against the Trojans. The Wolverines didn’t have All-America tight end Colston Loveland, who missed the game with an undisclosed injury. That put even more onus on the running game.
“The guys responded,” Moore said. “So proud of what they did and how they played.”
ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti contributed to this report.
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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
STILLWATER, Ok. — With veteran quarterback Cam Rising sidelined for a second straight week, No. 12 Utah turned to backup quarterback Isaac Wilson at Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday, then leaned on the true freshman passer to land a statement victory in the program’s inaugural Big 12 game.
In his second career start, Wilson went 17-of-29 for 207 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, delivering a series of key moments and lifting the Utes in a 22-19 win over No. 14 Oklahoma State to become the first true freshman quarterback starter to beat an AP Top 25 opponent in program history.
“I like that he just kept hanging in there and never got down on himself,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “Threw a couple of picks. Didn’t flinch. You saw his ability to run. He ripped off that 40- or 50-yard run. That was huge at that point in time. Dipped his shoulder and made another tough run down in the red zone that got us a first down. He’s just a competitor.”
Ahead of one of the most anticipated games on the 2024 Big 12 schedule, ESPN reported Saturday that Rising would be a game-time decision against Oklahoma State. The seventh-year passer has not played since injuring his throwing hand against Baylor on Sept. 7. Wilson made his first career start against Utah State in Week 3, completing 20 of his 33 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in Rising’s place during a 38-21 road victory.
Whittingham told reporters that the two quarterbacks split practice reps during Utah’s Week 3 preparation for Oklahoma State. On Saturday, Rising wore a protective glove on his throwing hand and took starter’s reps in pregame warmups before the Utes made the decision to go with Wilson on the road in a top-15 matchup of Big 12 College Football Playoff hopefuls.
“When he’s ready, he’ll be ready,” Whittingham said of Rising’s status. “That’s all I can say. We were hoping he’d be ready this week.”
“It was literally a game-time decision,” Whittingham continued. “Not gameday; It was game-time. We came into the locker room after all the warmups, had a little conference and decided that the guy who gave us the best chance to win was Isaac. Cam agreed. That’s what we did and that’s the direction we went.”
Whittingham said Utah was “without question” the more physical team Saturday after the Utes outgained Oklahoma State 249-48 on the ground and held onto the football for 42:26 of game time. Sixth-year running back Micah Bernad led the rushing attack, totaling a career-high 182 rushing yards to become the first Utah rusher to eclipse 150 yards rushing since Zack Moss gained 160 yards against Stanford in 2018.
But the play of Wilson, the brother of former BYU and current Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, was integral to a win that further cemented Utah as early Big 12 favorites this fall.
A high school state champion and ESPN’s 13th-ranked pocket passer in the 2024 class, Wilson began his second career start with a pair of incompletions before Oklahoma State safety Trey Rucker intercepted Wilson’s first downfield throw of the day to end Utah’s second offensive series.
The shaky start offered a window into Wilson’s poise and maturity. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound quarterback followed the interception with completions on 11 of his next 14 passes, including five throws of 15-plus yards. Later in the game, Wilson’s confident read was the difference on a 45-yard touchdown throw to tight end Brant Kuithe on what proved to be the decisive score before the Utes fended off a late Oklahoma State comeback bid.
But Wilson’s best moments Saturday came when the young passer used his legs. Facing fourth-and-short in the second quarter, Wilson barreled through Cowboys cornerback Korie Black, keeping alive an 11-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that ate 6:28 of game clock.
Wilson showed off his speed minutes after halftime when he left the pocket and burst beyond the Oklahoma State defense for a 48-yard run. He turned to his legs again for a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter, another in a series of decisive plays Wilson executed on a day Utah converted on four of its five fourth-down attempts to topple its first top-15 opponent since 2018.
“The team’s trusting me so I have to go make a play,” Wilson said when asked where he drew his confidence in pressure situations. “They were giving us zero-coverage pretty much the whole game. No one was man up on me. So when I broke that pocket I knew it was going to be there.”
Utah’s smooth transition at quarterback was a stark contrast to the quarterbacking debacle that unfolded on the opposite sideline Saturday.
Seventh-year Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman opened with completions on four of his first 10 throws, then completed just two of his next 12 attempts before halftime, finishing the first half 8-of-22 for 89 yards and an interception. With the Cowboys trailing 10-3 at the break, Mike Gundy opened the second half with redshirt sophomore quarterback Garet Rangel under center.
Across the four series Rangel oversaw, the Cowboys gained 32 yards and one first down across 15 plays while Utah built a 22-3 advantage during the early stages of the fourth quarter. Bowman later re-entered the game with 9:26 remaining and was intercepted on his second series before completing his final eight passes with a pair of touchdowns as Oklahoma State mounted a late comeback, gaining 127 yards on their final two offensive drives.
The Cowboys offense that exploded in the closing stages only made the unit that struggled so mightily for the initial 55 minutes all the more perplexing. Despite Bowman’s inconsistent performance and temporary benching, Gundy committed to the veteran passer as Oklahoma State’s starter moving forward as the Cowboys stare down a Week 5 trip to No. 13 Kansas State.
“Sometimes you got to get a guy out and calm him down a little bit,” Gundy said. “…I just felt like we weren’t getting good play and we needed a relief pitcher. Get somebody else in there. And Garret had a tough day. So you switch back.”
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