'We're a confident bunch': These resilient Phillies pull off another shocker in Game 1 win

HOUSTON — The Philadelphia Phillies were being no-hit and looked clueless Friday night against Houston Astros future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander.

So what did Phillies manager Rob Thomson do?

He walked up and down the dugout, telling his players, “We got a lot of game left! We got this guys! Don’t worry, we got this!’’

The Phillies looked at one another in disbelief, and thought their manager had gone crazy.

“Sometimes,’’ said Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins, “you’ve got to be a little crazy to play this game, to make you go insane. I think it just speaks to the confidence he has in us and he's seen us do it all year.’’

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GAME 1: Bizarre World Series opener ends with Phillies stunning Verlander's Astros

The Phillies have been the cardiac kids all year, but this time, they took it to a historical level, pulling out a 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series.

It was only the sixth time in World Series history that a team trailed by at least five runs and won, and the first time in Phillies’ history that they won an extra-inning World Series game.

“That’s who we are,’’ Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said. “We’ve been doing it all year. Why stop now?’’

The Phillies, the last team to qualify for the postseason, are now threatening to pull off perhaps the biggest World Series upset since the Los Angeles Dodgers stunned the Oakland A’s in 1988, triggered by Kirk Gibson’s walk-off homer in Game 1.

This time, 24 years later, it was Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto with the heroics, hitting the game-winning homer in the 10th inning, becoming the first catcher since Carlton Fisk in 1975 to hit a homer in an extra-inning World Series game.

“It's pretty incredible, honestly. But for me it's so cool to see the way this team is playing. It's been a different hero every single night," Realmuto said. "It's been that way all postseason long. Basically every hitter in our lineup has had their moment where they have come through huge for the team, and they're one of the main reasons we won that game today.

“I guess tonight was my turn.’’

The Phillies were down 5-0 to Verlander, the probable American League Cy Young winner, who looked invincible. He retired the first 10 batters he faced in the game, needing only 36 pitches the first three innings

“I don’t think it was late enough in the game,’’ Hoskins said, “for us to feel like we were out of it, regardless who was on the mound or who we’re playing. This is what we’ve done.’’

Said right fielder Nick Castellanos, who saved the game in the ninth inning with his diving catch: “We've been there before. I think that's what this team does so well. We know there's no quit, really. We really respect all 27 outs. We take that seriously, and we take it personal.’’

Well, the next thing the sellout crowd of 42,903 knew, the Phillies are knocking Verlander out of the game after five innings. And after scoring five runs on seven hits in the first 2⅓ innings of the game off Phillies ace Aaron Nola, the Astros offense was completely shut down. They proceeded to go 3-for-27 (.111) the rest of the game, and didn't get another runner even in scoring position until the ninth inning.

“The bullpen is the reason we won this game today,’’ Realmuto said. “Once we came back, there's a lot of pressure on those guys. That's a really good offense over there that they're facing. They're really deep.

“Our guys came in and responded. We got the strikeouts when we needed them. We got the ground balls when we needed them. You just can't say enough about how good they were for us. It's been that way all postseason long. They have carried us.’’

And, yes, the Phillies will tell you, they got plenty of breaks, too.

It began in the fourth inning when Hoskins produced the first hit, and was about to be doubled-up on an inning-ending line drive hit by Realmuto, only for Verlander to drop the ball. He still threw in time to get Realmuto at first, but Hoskins moved safely to second base. Three batters later, the Phillies had scored three runs.

“That changed everything,’’ Hoskins said. “We got a lot of confidence after that. We were yelling all kinds of things on the bench.’’

The Phillies remained optimistic they’d win right up until Jeremy Pena’s soft blooper into right field with two outs in the ninth with Jose Altuve rounding third and ready to score the game-winner. Castellanos, not known for his defensive prowess, got a great break on the pitch. Sprinted in, stuck out his glove, and caught the ball as he dove to the ground.

“I thought the game was over,’’ Realmuto said. “I thought it was hit so softly that I didn't think he was going to get there. But then I saw him charging in, coming in hot, and I thought, 'Oh, man, he might have a chance to catch that.’

“That play was huge.’’

Once the Phillies survived, they felt they were the team of destiny and would win, just as they have done this entire postseason. They are just the fourth team to produce two comebacks of at least four runs in a single postseason, and in all three previous occasions those teams won the World Series: the 1996 New York Yankees, the 2002 Angels, and the 2005 Chicago White Sox.

The Phillies have been the underdog in every round of this postseason, but swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card round, beat Atlanta in four games in the Division Series, the San Diego Padres in five games in the National League Championship Series, and now Game 1 of the World Series.

They’re starting to make a whole lot of folks look silly.

“We’ve felt like the underdog a little bit,’’ Hoskins said, “or at least been told we’re the underdog. That doesn’t necessarily sit well with us. I feel like we’re as good a team as anybody.

“I’m not saying anybody’s taking us lightly, but I think we have the ability to beat anybody on any given day.’’

Certainly, they’ve proven that, with the Astros the latest team to witness the Phillies’ magical postseason tour.

The Astros, who won 106 games this year, and were undefeated this postseason, have lost only two games in the entire month of October.

The Phillies have been the only team to beat them, clinching their playoff berth on Oct. 3 against the Astros in Houston, and again Friday, with Phillies president Dave Dombrowski walking around the clubhouse, bumping fists, and saying, “Three more to go. Three more!’’

The winner of Game 1 has won 10 of the last 12 World Series since 2010, but then again, the Astros were one of those teams when they lost Game 1 in 2017 and came back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

“There were just little baseball things, weird things that happen throughout a game,’’ Hoskins said, “that good teams find ways to take advantage of, and we did. I’ve watched enough sports in my life that sometimes you need some help from the baseball gods, right? A weird hit, a weird bounce, sometimes you need that.

“I'm telling you, these moments just keep popping up.

“We’re a confident bunch.’’

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phillies resilient, start World Series off with a bang vs. Astros