Can the Philadelphia Phillies bring the World Series title home?
This postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to pull off the second-biggest upset in World Series history against the Houston Astros. Their gap of 19 wins in the regular season only trails the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs in 1906 when the White Sox had 23 fewer wins and upset the Cubs.
Now the Phillies get to come home for World Series Game 3 in front of a fanbase that has carried them to a 5-0 record at home this postseason, a fanbase that is starving for its first World Series championship since 2008.
The Philadelphia Phillies are 21-9 in home playoff games at Citizens Bank Park. That’s the best home record in MLB history with a minimum of 20 games.
The fans felt the 11-year postseason draft and have been ready for this moment. The Phillies have had the best home-field advantage this postseason. The place is loud and rowdy the entire game. The Phillies are never out of the game and that crowd believes just as much as they do.
Game 3 scheduled for Halloween night (weather depending) is pivotal with the series tied at one win each. The winner of Game 3 wins the World Series around 68% of the time in this scenario.
The Astros will get booed heavily, but that’s something they thrive on. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman always play their best when people are heckling them. Altuve has come to life in this series and Bregman had a home run in Game 2. Jeremy Peña has continued to show he’s a rising star. Yordan Alvarez has slowly started to wake up and he could be the difference-maker if he gets going. Yuli Gurrell has turned back the clock this postseason and Kyle Tucker is their most underrated player. This lineup is dangerous and can never be taken lightly.
The Phillis will turn to Noah Syndergaard, who will serve as a glorified opener in Game 3. They hope to get three to four good innings out of him on Monday night. The Astros will throw the veteran Lance McCullers. Thor started Game 3 of the World Series and won for the New York Mets back in 2015. McCullers has more postseason experience and won a World Series game in 2017. Both pitchers have battled injuries, but McCullers looks closer to his old self.
If the Phillies can win on Monday night and at least one more home game, they very well could go on to win the series with a 3-2 edge. We’ve seen Houston struggle at home against the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves in the World Series.
Can the Phillies become the third NL East team to beat them? Can they even do the unthinkable and bring it home in Philly? We’ll start to know that answer in Game 3 on Monday night.