#53 | No Fight Left as Phillies Season Ends in Atlanta

Recorded live on YouTube immediately after the final out, Josh Liddick and Austin Myers react to a 6-2 loss in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series that ends the Phillies' 2026 season in Atlanta and sends them on a flight back to Philly.It was quiet from the very start. Braves lefty Ray Kerr shut down the Phillies offense, Atlanta scored three in the first off Aaron Nola, and the Phillies never found an answer. The guys debate whether Zack Wheeler should have started Game 3 instead, though they agree the offense—not the rotation—was the real problem.The guys pay respects to Alec Bohm's likely final game in a Phillies uniform, get into the bigger picture: baserunning mistakes, inconsistent leadership, and a core that's now taken a step back in each of the last several postseasons, and revel in likely Don Mattingly's final managerial decision: inserting Otto Kemp as a pinch hitter.Looking ahead, it's a pivotal offseason for John Middleton, Dave Dombrowski, and the front office, with money coming off the books and real questions about how this roster needs to change. Josh and Austin close out their first season of the podcast with thanks to listeners and a preview of what's coming during the offseason.Is this core still good enough to get over the hump, and where does this organization go from here?Follow and leave a five-star review for Catchin’ Phils: A Phillies Podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to Josh Liddick (⁠⁠⁠⁠Red Pinstripe Press⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Austin Myers (⁠⁠⁠⁠Phillies Perspective⁠⁠⁠⁠) on Substack to get their latest work straight to your inbox. The podcast is also streaming weekly on the Catchin' Phils ⁠⁠⁠YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠.Follow Catchin’ Phils on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for more content. Episode timestamps:00:00 – Phillies season ends, falling 6-2 in game three 01:12 – A low-event dud with no momentum from yesterday's win 02:32 – Crediting the Braves and Walt Weiss's managing 04:48 – Ray Kerr's dominant start silences the offense 05:55 – Harper, Schwarber, and Turner lead into the next era 06:41 – Zack Wheeler's future and a shortened 2027 season 09:10 – Learning from the lost 2020 season 11:34 – The five-year window and the fear of stepping back again 13:26 – Otto Kemp's rough final at-bat 14:41 – Second-guessing the decision to start Nola over Wheeler 16:37 – Flexibility this offseason and what has to change 21:24 – Braves ticket prices and a flat atmosphere in Atlanta 21:51 – A season that could never fully right itself after a slow start 23:39 – Base-running mistakes and accountability among leaders 25:56 – Comparing this ending to last year's collapse 27:08 – A slow death versus last year's sudden one 28:07 – Grateful for a first season of postseason podcasts 28:44 – Closing thoughts, thank-yous, and what's next for the show