3 Phillies to blame for epic NLDS Game 4 collapse vs. rival Mets

This was supposed to be the year for the Philadelphia Phillies. They had a stacked roster and made some moves at the trade deadline to make a run to the World Series, in hopes of winning it for the first time since 2008.

Their only problem was, they ran into a team of destiny in the rival New York Mets. The Mets took a 2-1 NLDS lead after Tuesday. The Phillies had to try and tie the series up and bring it back to Philadelphia. It looked as though they were close to getting that, after the Mets left the bases loaded twice and the Phillies had a 1-0 lead.

But then, one swing of the bat by Mets superstar Francisco Lindor on an epic grand slam put the Phillies behind 4-1. Even after the Phillies had the tying runs at the plte in the ninth inning after a shaky outing by Edwin Diaz, Kyle Schwarber struck out to end Game 4 and the season for Philadelphia.

It's a loss that will sting for the Phillies for quite some time. Here are three Phillies to blame for the Game 4 loss.

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3 Phillies to blame for NLDS Game 4 loss to rival Mets

3. Kyle Schwarber, DH

The top of the Phillies batting lineup is one of the most terrifying in all of baseball. Having Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper as the 1-2-3 hitters is as good as it gtss. but for Schwarber, th eleadoff man, he didn't do much in Game 4.

Yes, Schwarber notably struck out with two runners on to end Game 4, but it was just an all-around bad night at the plate. Schwarber didn't log a single hit in four at-bats, and three times, he struck out.

Schwarber first two strikeouts occurred when there were no runners on base. But that strikeout at the end of the game, with the power he possesses, was brutal. In the series, Schwarber had a .125 batting average and a .576 OPS.

2. Jeff Hoffman, RP

Carlos Estevez surrendered the grand slam to LIndor, yes. But who set the stage for that brutal occurrence? Jeff Hoffman.

Ranger Suarez had a strong outing, escaping bases-loaded jams twice and recording eight strikeouts in just 4.1 innings of work. But given that his pitch count bloated up, it was time for the Phillies to go to the bullpen. Enter Hoffman, and was it ever a disaster.

In the fifth inning, Hoffman struck out Pete Alonso and forced Jose Iglesias to ground out. But then, the sixth inning arrived.

Hoffman faced off against Starling Marte, and on a 3-2 pitch, he hit the Mets outfielder, allowing him to reach base. Then, Hoffman threw a wild pitch and allowed J.D. Martinez and Marte to advance. Hoffman walked Tyrone Taylor on seven pitches. Hoffman did end his outing on a positive note, allowing a forceout that got Martinez out at home plate.

Hoffman's night ended allowing three earned runs on one hit. Hoffman's ERA after the postseason? 40.50. It was just a brutal outing for All-Star.

1. Rob Thomson, Manager

Now, we get to the person responsible for the collapse in Game 4 — manager Rob Thomson. The Phillies got themselves a great manager in Thomson, who replaced Joe Girardi, reaching the World Series in his first year and to the NLCS last year. The furthest he would get is the NLDS this year.

Again, that sixth inning was a horrendous one for the Phillies. Thomson called upon Hoffman to relieve Suarez, which turned out to be a mistake. Then, Thomson pivoted quickly to Estevez after just three batters faced by Hoffman in the sixth. Of course, that resulted in Lindor's grand slam.

Overall, it was just. disappointing series by the Phillies, who were determined to prove that the first-round bye in the new postseason format isn't cursed. Well, the bats went silent, and the bullpen imploded multiple times this season.

This will be a series that Thomson won't forget throughout this offseason.