The Philadelphia Phillies had a hole in the outfield at the trade deadline. The Phillies addressed the issue by trading for Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins. Since arriving, the veteran outfielder has given Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson a much-needed boost. He continued a great series against the New York Mets with another highlight reel play against Francisco Lindor.
Bader entered the series with a big chip on his shoulder. The Mets chose not to re-sign him after he put up a respectable season in New York in 2023. Two years later, he finds himself on the roster of New York’s biggest rival. He took on the challenge of the division series, though. In the fifth inning of Wednesday’s game, Bader threw Lindor out at second base from the outfield.
Bader hit a clutch home run that helped the Phillies make Tuesday’s game interesting, even though they lost. He continues to play well against his former team in a series that could decide which team walks away with the top spot in the NL East. For now, Bader’s team has a comfortable lead with less than 30 games left in the regular season.
New York won Tuesday’s game with a walk-off hit in extra innings. It looks like Mendoza’s offense is starting to come together at the right time, which will make things very interesting in the division. However, the Phillies need to falter in order for the Mets to have a chance at the top spot. If Bader has anything to say about it, that slip won’t ever come.
Philadelphia has confidence in its chances to make a deep playoff run this season. Additions like Bader and Jhoan Duran from the trade deadline give the Phillies some serious help in areas of need. While Thomson can’t rely on his new outfielder to keep making highlight plays like the one against Lindor, Bader’s contributions could help the team win a title.
