They have thrived on a chaotic, spirited energy this postseason. The Phillies are beating them at their own game.
PHILADELPHIA — The pair of geese lay tilted on their sides. One rested on a table; the other had been set on the floor, propped up against the base of an unoccupied couch like a somber, listless footnote to the story of the visiting clubhouse.
It was hard to imagine the placement was intended as symbolic—this kind of loss allows little time for symbolism—but it was harder still not to notice it. The replica geese are representatives not just of the Padres’ playoff run, but specifically of the chaotic, spirited energy that drove their come-from-behind NLDS win over the Dodgers.