Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-02 · by Bill Trocchi The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Harper doesn’t play the shoulda, woulda, coulda game.
asserted
Harper → play → game
The bottom line for the Philadelphia Phillies is they came up short in the postseason again.
asserted
they → come → postseason
“You’re here to do business.
asserted
You → ’re → business
You’re here to win games, and we didn’t do that,” Harper said in a subdued Phillies clubhouse Thursday night following their 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the deciding Game 3 of their National League Wild Card Series.
asserted
Harper → ’re → Series
There would be no excuses coming from the All-Star slugger about a September swoon that prevented the Phillies from lining up their pitching against Atlanta because it took until Game 162 to clinch a playoff spot.
asserted
it → come → spot
Philadelphia forced Game 3 against the Braves with three dramatic solo home runs late in Game 2.
asserted
Philadelphia → force → Game
But in the end, the Phillies fell into an early hole Thursday and were eliminated from the postseason for the fifth consecutive year as they chase their first World Series title since 2008.
asserted
they → fall → 2008
“You’d love to be able to set your pitching up and them be rested and all that kind of stuff,” interim manager Don Mattingly said.
asserted
Mattingly → love → stuff
“But that’s not the way it went.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
We had to fight to get ourselves in, and to do what we had to do to get in, we had to do what we had to do basically every game in the series.
asserted
we → have → series
The Phillies’ core of Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have made five straight playoff appearances and averaged 91 wins per year during that stretch.
asserted
core → make → stretch
They have yet to win a championship and have been eliminated further and further from that goal each season since reaching the 2022 World Series.
asserted
They → have → Series
The following season, Philadelphia exited in the National League Championship Series, and the next two years saw losses in the Division Series.
asserted
years → exit → Series
A wild-card exit this season marks another step in the wrong direction.
asserted
exit → mark → direction
“Obviously, we’d love to win a World Series with these guys.
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we → love → guys
We’ve been together quite a while, and we’ve got a good clubhouse, and you know, good characters on this team,” Nola said.
asserted
Nola → get → team
“We know what type of guys are in here.
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type → know → guys
We know what type of players we have, and what we’re capable of.
asserted
we → know → what
(We need to) kind of play good at the right time.”
asserted
We → need → time
The five-year run included two playoff series wins over the Braves.
asserted
run → include → Braves
Philadelphia eliminated Atlanta in 2022 and 2023 despite the Braves winning the NL East in both seasons.
asserted
Braves → eliminate → seasons
That scenario was set up again this year, with the Braves earning home-field advantage in this series by virtue of another NL East title.
asserted
Braves → set → title
This time, however, Atlanta managed to get the big hits and the clutch pitching when it mattered most.
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it → manage → hits
Ray Kerr, in just his 10th appearance this year and first career postseason appearance, played the role of opener to perfection.
asserted
Kerr → play → perfection
He went 3 1/3 innings, giving up no runs, one walk and one hit to set up bulk reliever Grant Holmes.
asserted
He → go → Holmes
Michael Harris II belted a three-run homer off Nola in the first, and the Phillies were looking up the rest of the night.
asserted
Phillies → belt → night
The Phillies were looking up at the rest of their division in April, but eventually righted the ship.
asserted
Phillies → look → ship
Mattingly took over when Rob Thomson was fired on April 28 after a 9-18 start.
asserted
Thomson → take → start
The Phillies won eight of their next nine and reached .500 on May 16.
uncertain
Phillies → win → May
A red-hot August put them in playoff position, but a postseason berth was not secured until the final game of the regular season.
asserted
berth → put → season
Mattingly deflected questions about his future after the game.
asserted
Mattingly → deflect → game
“It’s not the time to talk about it.
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It → ’ → it
I’m comfortable with whatever they want to do,” he said.
asserted
he → ’m → whatever
“Again, I want the best for the Phillies.
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I → want → Phillies
I actually like playing in that environment.
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I → like → environment
I like the environment.
asserted
I → like → environment
It’s a rough environment, but it’s good.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Again, I think you let the organization evaluate, talk about what they think moving forward, what they should do, and that dictates a lot of different things.”
asserted
that → think → things
As the clubhouse emptied out for the final time this season, Wheeler reflected on the journey the Phillies went on and the disappointing ending it delivered.
asserted
it → empty → journey
We spent a lot of time together.
asserted
We → spend → time
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
