NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 21, 2023

Rob Thomson

Chase Field

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 5 Press Conference

Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 1

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Rob.

Q. Rob, that double steal in the first, did that order come from the dugout or did Bryson and Harp kind of do that themselves?

ROB THOMSON: No, we put the sign on, but they executed it perfectly. Stotter pulled up at the right time, and Harp got a really good break.

Q. Did the scouting report, say, Ketel Marte's arm, did that inform that decision?

ROB THOMSON: Really we just wanted to put pressure on them. There was two out there at the time, and they have to make two good throws. And I think that the catcher's throw was a little bit low, so it causes a little bit of a rush for the second baseman, so it worked out.

Q. What did you think of Wheeler's fastball today?

ROB THOMSON: Really good. All his stuff was good. Breaking ball, the slurve, curveball. The two-seam was fantastic. I thought he did a great job. He gave us exactly what we needed with where our pen was at.

Q. They were able to reach base quite a bit, but you were able to limit the damage each inning. How did you like the way the pitchers controlled the situation once one got on?

ROB THOMSON: I thought they were really good. Wheels holds runners really well, which shuts down the running game a little bit. But our pitchers tonight, all of them for the most part -- I think all of them -- first pitch strikes, got ahead, and then attacked. Two walks on the night. Wheels walks Carroll to start the game off, but then nothing after that.

Seranthony had a two-out walk in the ninth, so I thought they were really good.

Q. I don't know how detailed you got into the double steal, but what was the genesis? What was the direction? Was it Bryce go if the pitcher doesn't cut it off, you don't see a pump fake? Is it a total read by Bryce? Exactly why did you try it and how does it work?

ROB THOMSON: Well, just because there was two out, first thing. Wanted to do add on a run if we could, put a little pressure on them. And so if Stott breaks and if the ball goes through, he stops, and Harp breaks. If they pump fake, then just Stott just walks into second base.

Q. If the throw is better and he gets tagged out, that's on you again.

ROB THOMSON: Absolutely.

Q. What does it say about I guess you and your team's willingness to sort of go for it?

ROB THOMSON: Well, from the start of the playoffs, sort of the message to everybody was let's put pressure on people. That doesn't mean the double steals. It doesn't mean -- it also means getting down the line, putting pressure on people with ground balls. And Harp did it on the ground ball to second base. Putting pressure on the outfield, thinking about going first to third, good turns. Forcing them to maybe make some mistakes.

Q. It's Bryce Harper. First steal of home in franchise history, he hits a ball 450 feet, and you guys win a game you have to win.

ROB THOMSON: Makes a diving play.

Q. Makes a diving play. Beats out a ground ball. Have you been around a guy -- I know you've been around a lot of guys. Have you been around a guy who absorbs the moment, amplifies the moment the way that he does?

ROB THOMSON: I'll tell you, he is as good as they get. He might be the best I've been around. Just watching him on a daily basis and looking at his playoff numbers since he has been here, anyway, it's astounding.

Q. You guys are going back now to a place you haven't lost at yet this year. I guess how big was tonight knowing that you've got Nola and you've got the home field, and you've got a day off to get your bullpen back? It seems like we've talked a lot about momentum. You've got that momentum.

ROB THOMSON: It's huge. Winning a game here is huge. It really is. Especially how we lost the first two here. It just shows the toughness of our club, the resiliency of our club because they're not going to quit. They're not.

So this thing is not over. We have to show up on Monday and put the pedal down and get after this thing and play good baseball. We really played well tonight.

I thought our defense was outstanding. We talked about the Bryce dive. Stotter, kind of a slide play to his back hand. Rojas goes and gets a ball into right center that a lot of guys don't get to.

So I thought we played a complete game tonight.

Q. Rob, back to the steal. In your scouting did you know that these guys practice this and they've done it before with the cutoff and all of that?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, they have the return play. That's what we call it. We knew it, but we were going to take a shot.

Q. Basically you baited them into it. To me everything has to go perfect to get the play to the plate.

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, it does. A lot of it has to do with their positioning in the infield and things like that.

Q. So basically it was a good move on your part.

ROB THOMSON: Well, it worked out. If it didn't, again --

Q. Well, chances were pretty good it was going to. I looked at it. I've seen them do it here in the same situation and the same thing happened, so...