We all remember October.
Kerk on the mound in Los Angeles.
The Throw.
We remember.
While that was certainly laden with more pressure than a regular season game on July 21st, the Phillies decided to even up this current three-game series against the Dodgers by taking part in another humiliating loss to them, this time at Citizens Bank Park.
Brandon Marsh came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth with J.T.
Realmuto on second base after piss-missiling a double down the line, which allowed Justin Crawford to get to third.
One out.
Down 2-1.
It felt like the Phils were gonna do it.
They were gonna pull it off.
Marsh was going to break out of his slump and send the fans home happy.
BUT Dodgers 2, Phillies 1 Here's how it ended.
pic.twitter.com/BFDTDOvxzg Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 22, 2026 How it sounded with Gregg Murphy and Larry Andersen on 94WIP: We are all Larry Andersen pic.twitter.com/BZN2E3vjSq Nick Piccone (@_piccone) July 22, 2026 Listen to how excited Dodgers TV was to witness another Phillies disasterclass: WHAT A FINISH It's a 5-2-6-4 double play and the @Dodgers hold on pic.twitter.com/WkpiDyS50c MLB (@MLB) July 22, 2026 There really are no words..
but Im going to try.
Realmuto, for some reason, thought Crawford had a good chance to get back to third base.
But the reward of heading back to second because you think Crawford is going to have a shot to get back to third is negligible when even if Crawford did get back safely, you were most certainly a dead duck to make the second out either way.
Why even chance it? Its just..
crazy.
Notwithstanding Marshs silly little cue shot that stunned Crawford enough to not break on contact, but wait until the ball was almost in Max Muncys glove before running towards home plate.
Crawford will probably learn the best idea was to stay put after he hesitated, but aggressive baseball can sometimes breed mistakes and the Phillies were obviously hoping thatd happen there.
It didnt.
It wound up being maybe the most embarrassing ending to a game in the entire league this season (hey, Im leaving this game with something).
After the game, interim manager Don Mattingly said he didnt know what Realmuto was thinking.
I dont know what JT (Realmuto) was thinking there, honestly..
Don Mattingly on the final play of the game.
Mattingly confirmed that Crawford was running on contact in that spot.
pic.twitter.com/dAeraj6erG Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) July 22, 2026 I dont know what J.T.
was thinking there, honestly.
He got to third, its really what you, with contact on, is hoping Craw stays in it long enough to get Marsh to second, and you end up in the same spot.
Yeah, Im not quite sure what hes thinking.
I dont know if he thought Craw was gonna get back, or if they were gonna let him get back.
But its something well talk about.
I know it might be unfair at this point, but I have not been a big fan of Mattinglys decisions lately.
Bullpen usage, the same boneheaded mistakes that we thought might get cleaned up when Thomson was fired remain, and the team might have actually a lower collective baseball IQ.
I dont know what it is.
Its not all on Mattingly, obviously.
But weve seen this stuff for years.
And generally theyre good enough to not let games like this snowball.
But that was bad.
Really bad.
They had a win in their sights.
And a series win at that.
Its just old.
How are we supposed to take them seriously when they wont take themselves seriously? The only thing we can do it wait until the next game.
And hope they win.
Because with the Braves and Marlins continuing to scuffle, this was a prime opportunity to make up some ground.
Who knows, maybe the baseball IQ will increase on Wednesday.
The post The Phillies Found Another Braindead Way of Losing to the Dodgers appeared first on Crossing Broad .