The Philadelphia Phillies stormed their way through to the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, much to do with their selectively aggressive approach at the plate.
Taking down the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series, and having an early series lead over the Diamondbacks, the Phillies all-out mindset when hitting has powered their success.
In doing so, they’ve tied the 2002 Angels for most multi-homer performances in a single playoff series. In 2002, Troy Glaus, Adam Kennedy and Tim Salmon, who did it twice, led the franchise to a World series title over the San Francisco Giants.
They also tied the 2009 Phillies, who share the same history, following a lineage of pure power hitting lineups in the playoffs.
Phillies players have had 4 multi-homer performances in these playoffs.
That's tied with the 2002 Angels and the 2009 Phillies for the most in a single postseason.#Postseason | #RedOctober pic.twitter.com/5M4mWUNBQM
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 18, 2023
Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber makeup this rare feat, all using their elite hitting tools to make their own impact.
With Schwarber’s two homer showing in Game 2 of the NLCS off Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly, he slugged his 49th and 50th home runs of the 2023 season.
Darin Erstad candidate for Angels open managerial job
As the Angels search for a new manager, they are believed to be seeking a veteran presence to lead their young roster. Among the candidates so far is former New York Mets skipper Buck Showalter, who has managed in parts of 22 big league seasons.
Another possible option for the Angels’ managerial opening is Darin Erstad.
Erstad most recently served as the head coach of the University of Nebraska baseball team from 2011-2019. He was rumored to be a candidate for the Dodgers’ managerial search in 2015 before the organization hired Dave Roberts.
Make sure to follow Angels Nation on Twitter for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Halos!