The Philadelphia Phillies did what they could ill-afford to do - drop each of their home games to begin the NLDS. Now, with the Phillies trailing 2-0 in this best-of-five series with the scene shifting to Los Angeles, Philadelphia fans are understandably irate.
Most of the blame has to be placed on the shoulders of Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Philadelphia's star position player trio that has combined to go 2-for-21 with 11 strikeouts in this series. The Phillies haven't scored enough runs, and those three being non-factors is a huge reason why.
Those players deserve the bulk of the blame, but manager Rob Thomson has been at the center of attention for all of the wrong reasons as well. He's made several questionable pitching decisions, and his call to have Bryson Stott bunt in the ninth inning in Game 2 will be looked at negatively by Phillies fans for years to come, assuming they drop this series. To make matters worse, Thomson added fuel to the overflowing fire shortly after Philadelphia's Game 2 defeat by announcing the team's pitching plan for Game 3.
Aaron Nola is starting Game 3, Rob Thomson said. Ranger Suárez would pitch behind him.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) October 7, 2025
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Rob Thomson's Game 3 pitching plan is impossible to defend
Aaron Nola had a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts in the regular season he has a career 4.02 postseason ERA, and he allowed four or more runs in five of his eight starts since he came off the Injured List in mid-August. Ranger Suarez had a 3.20 ERA in 26 regular-season starts, he has a career 1.43 postseason ERA, and he allowed three runs in six innings at Dodger Stadium in September. Guess who the Phillies chose to start with their season on the line? Hint: It wasn't the better pitcher.
That's right, Aaron Nola will toe the slab against the pitcher who I'd argue is the Dodgers' ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, at Dodger Stadium. The Phillies are getting cute while the Dodgers are going for the kill right now.
Now, Suarez is expected to pitch, but what if Nola puts the Phillies in an early hole? I mean, he had a 7.94 first-inning ERA in the regular season. They'll use Suarez, but it's entirely possible he'll enter the game with the Phillies behind. That doesn't feel like the optimal time to use the guy who I believe is Philadelphia's second-best healthy starter right now.
Rob Thomson's explanation for controversial decision makes little sense
Rob Thomson says Ranger Suárez will throw after Aaron Nola in Game 3.#NLDS | #Postseason https://t.co/MP1omv3YpE pic.twitter.com/nzTgtljsRt
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 7, 2025
When asked whether Suarez was going to start Game 3, Thomson said Nola was going to get the ball for reasons I cannot comprehend. "Nola's never pitched out of the 'pen, so how long he goes I don't know, and I trust him." It's a decision so mindblowing that the immediate follow-up question was about whether Suarez is healthy.
You read that right. Thomson wants Nola to start because he hasn't pitched out of the bullpen before. There's some validity to this, but I have two counters.
If he wants to use him in Game 3, Thomson can simply plan for Nola to start an inning, instead of coming in with runners on base. Having Nola start an inning might not be the exact same as starting a game, but he'd have ample time to warm up, and he wouldn't have to worry about base runners that aren't his own. It's similar enough to a start.
As for the part where Thomson says he trusts Nola, I have to ask why that is. Sure, he's been an All-Star in the past and is paid to start games like this, but he has not been good all year long. Suarez had an All-Star-caliber year, just pitched well against this Dodgers team in September, and has a postseason track record as strong as anyone's.
Rob Thomson is fully prepared to lose without firing his best bullets
I predicted that the Dodgers would win this series, so losing isn't the end of the world in my view, but my philosophy is that if I lose a game knowing I gave it my best shot, there's nothing to be overly upset about. Teams can get overmatched, and there's nothing shameful about losing a series to the defending champions. The Phillies, though, are not firing their best shots.
Despite Suarez being available in relief in Game 1, Thomson relied on guys like David Robertson and Matt Strahm to get key late-inning outs - that backfired. In Game 2, Thomson went to Orion Kerkering, a reliever who has struggled mightily with inherited runners, over their best reliever, Jhoan Duran, when it felt like their season was on the line. Thomson then elected to use Duran in both games with the team trailing in the ninth inning.
How is it that the Phillies are down 2-0 and their second-best starting pitcher hasn't thrown a pitch yet? How is it that their best reliever has only pitched when they were down instead of in the highest-leverage moments?
Now, with the Phillies in must-win territory, Thomson is willing to lose without using his best available starter to start. The star position players are the biggest reason why the Phillies are in the position they're in, but a decision like this goes to show that Thomson is far from blame-free. He is not putting his team in the best position to succeed, and might lose his job because of it.