Remarkably, the Phillies didn’t follow up with an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the sixth inning, after they had already built a 7-0 lead. Bryce Harper opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first, and the Phillies continued to struggle against Lance McCullers Jr. from there. The Phillies are a perfect 6-0 at home this postseason.
Here are some highlights from Game 3 of the World Series.

1. Harper gave the Phillies the lead (again)

Before Game 3, the last pitch Harper saw at Citizens Bank Park went over the left field wall for a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning of NLCS Game 5. That was the pennant-winning homer. And on the first pitch Harper saw in Game 3, he blasted a two-run homer into the right field seats. Homers on back-to-back home pitches.
McCullers’ reaction tells you all you need to know:
“I’m just trying to get a good pitch over the plate,” Harper said during an interview with Fox (video). “We faced (McCullers) late in the year and got a pretty good look at him. That’s a good team over there, so to be able to hit first is huge.”
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The home run was Harper’s sixth of the postseason and the prospect’s fourth homer this October. Only Albert Pujols has accomplished more viewers in one postseason. He had five in 2004. The Astros did well to limit Harper in Games 1 and 2 (2 for 8 with two singles and a walk), but it was only a matter of time before he made one of those game-changing changes. It came early in Game 3.

2. Bohm hit a milestone homer

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the 1,000th home run in World Series history. Alec Bohm did the honors:
The first home run in World Series history occurred in Game 1 of the 1903 World Series when Jimmy Sebring of the Pittsburgh Pirates took home Cy Young of the Boston Americans. Cy Young, huh? I can’t find any other brand than this. Tuesday’s Game 3 was the first time in World Series history that a team hit three home runs in the first two innings, if you can believe that.
It should be noted that before Bom’s bat, Harper called him over to the boat’s railing to impart some wisdom. Bohm didn’t reveal what Harper told him during an interview in the dugout (why would he?), but Bryce has a reputation for being one of the best in the game at picking up subtle narratives when delivering to a pitcher. Is it possible McCullers was throwing his pitches in Game 3?

3. McCullers had a historically bad night

The Phillies were far from done after Harper and Bohm hit home runs. Brandon Marsh (solo), Kyle Schwarber (two runs) and Rhys Hoskins (solo) all drove in McCullers deep later in the game to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. McCullers is the first pitcher in history to allow five home runs in a World Series game. Here’s Homer’s game-breaking attack:
McCullers had never allowed more than three homers in a game in his career before Game 3. The Philadelphia left-hander saw 34 pitches from the Houston righty, hit three homers and swung and missed just once. The Phillies are the second team to have five different players go deep in a World Series game, joining the 2017 Astros (Game 5).
In fairness to McCullers, he probably shouldn’t have been in the game in the fifth inning, and certainly not after Marsh slapped a one-out single. He had gone through the lineup twice, looked shaky most of the night, and the Astros were still deep in the game 4-0. McCullers stayed in, Schwarber and Hoskins hit back-to-back bombs and suddenly the game was out of reach.

4. Suarez was outstanding

Ranger Suarez’s performance should not be forgotten amid the barrage at home. The 27-year-old southpaw threw five shutout innings against the powerhouse Astros and allowed just four of the 19 batters he faced to hit the ball out of the infield (just three on the fly). Allowed seven pitches, four hits, four singles and one walk.
Houston has two top chances against Suarez. They put runners on the corners with two outs in the second inning, but Suárez singled to Chas McCormick for the triple. They then put runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth, but Jose Altuve grounded out to four outs. Suarez was cool, calm and collected and got big outings when needed.
Once Schwarber and Hoskins broke the game open in the fifth inning, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was able to go to the second-level relievers to record the win. Connor Brogdon pitched the sixth inning, Kyle Gibson pitched the seventh, Nick Nelson pitched the eighth and Andrew Bellatti finished things off in the ninth. José Alvarado and Seranthony Domínguez (and Zack Eflin and David Robertson) got the night off and will be rested for Games 4 and 5. This is a win within a win. A first win.

5. The Phillies have dominated at home

The Fightin’ Phils are now a perfect 6-0 at Citizens Bank Park this October and have outscored their opponents 17-6 — 17-6! — in six games. No team had ever hit more than 15 homers in a six-game stretch in a single season before these 2022 Phillies. How about that? The Phillies have outscored their opponents 42-15 in their six postseason home games. 42 is a headliner, but 15 works with 2.50 runs allowed per game. This is excellent.

6. Next Next

Game 4. Historically, when a best-of-seven is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 wins the series 69 percent of the time. That’s good news for the Phillies. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Game 1 starter Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) and righty Cristian Javier (11-9, 2.94 ERA) are the scheduled starting pitchers.