In Game 3 against the Braves, the Phillies exploded in the third inning and completely unraveled Spencer Strider. It started with a run scoring on a simple hit, giving Philly a 1-0 lead. Then things spiraled. The Braves intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber, who’s been ice cold, to get to Rhys Hoskins, who hasn’t done much either. Hoskins didn’t like that. On the first pitch he saw, he crushed a center-cut fastball into the seats and tossed his bat with force. It was Strider’s slowest fastball of the game, and Hoskins made him pay. Bryce Harper’s reaction said it all as the Phillies dugout erupted.
Strider looked lost. The next pitch went for another hit. Then J.T. Realmuto punched a single to left. That made it three straight pitches, three straight hits. Strider was pulled, and Philly fans didn’t hold back as he walked off. The Braves brought in a reliever, but the change didn’t help. On the very first pitch, Bryce Harper smashed another center-cut fastball over the wall for a two-run homer. That made it four pitches, four hits, six runs total. The Phillies were locked in and crushed every mistake pitch thrown their way.
The fifth pitch turned into a single too. Only on the sixth pitch did the Phillies fail to get a hit, and then came a pop-up for the second out. By then, the damage was done. Strider sat in the dugout, clearly stunned. Their plan backfired, and the Phillies made them pay for it pitch after pitch.