Citizens Bank Park was still stuck in euphoric shock as David Robertson walked two batters in the ninth to put the go-ahead run on base. No matter the final score, Bryce Harper’s legendary two-run blast in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the 2022 National League Championship Series would live forever in Phillies lore, but it was in danger of not being the winning run. Yet, it was that fact had not sunk in to the crowd of 45,485.
The Phillies had a left hander warming up in the bullpen. It wasn’t José Alvarado. He already pitched a scoreless eighth inning and was in line for the victory.