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So here’s the thing about baseball. We all fall in love with the big-market glam — Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies. But October? October has always been about momentum. And yesterday in Philly, the Reds grabbed it, hugged it, and flat-out refused to let go.
Final score: Cincinnati 7, Philadelphia 3. And it wasn’t Bryce Harper, it wasn’t some $300-million guy—it was Ruben Soto. A second baseman. Not flashy, not headline-grabbing, but he outplayed the stars. Triple early, three-run bomb late. That’s culture. That’s buy-in. That’s a team saying, “We’re not done yet.”
Now, let’s be honest: Philadelphia’s still the better roster. They’ve got more depth, more bats, they had 11 hits in this game. But here’s the difference: Cincinnati got hits that mattered. Phillies stranded 11 runners—11! You can’t do that in October. The Reds? Three double plays, outfield assist at the plate—they did all the little things right.
And this is what great postseason series are about. It’s never a sweep when you’ve got an underdog with confidence. Cincinnati was down 3–1 in this series, season basically over, and they go into Citizens Bank Park, hostile environment, 40,000 Philadelphians foaming at the mouth, and they punch back. That’s not talent, that’s toughness.
And by the way—don’t underestimate what this means going back to Cincinnati for Game 6. The Reds have life. Philly’s still in control, but we’ve seen this before—better roster, more stars, home-field advantage… and suddenly you’re in a Game 7, and now it’s pressure versus belief.
The story here isn’t just Ruben Soto—it’s that the Phillies had a chance to finish it, and they blinked. And in sports, once the underdog sniffs doubt? Look out.
This series just got real.
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