Harrison Bader has truly been a “gift” to the Phillies clubhouse. The vibes have been immaculate since Bader arrived in Philadelphia on August 1, with his teammates joining his aura by wearing his typical crop top look and sporting the “What a Gift” T-shirts (there is another one for Bader the players are wearing that’s coming soon). 

“In a weird way, it just shows a level of togetherness that rides some energy for a couple weeks,” Bader said with a smile. “I would never nudge another grown man to wear a crop top.” 

There’s more to Bader than just the vibes he’s bringing in the clubhouse. His presence on the field has sparked this Phillies lineup, a group that’s second in batting average (.267), third in home runs (86), second in OPS (.798), and fifth in runs scored (274) since Bader arrived in Philadelphia on August 1. 

Bader himself? He’s hitting .305 with 5 home runs and an .824 OPS since joining the Phillies. He’s hitting eighth in Game 1 of the NLDS for the Phillies, a move Rob Thomson manufactured in order to get the bottom of the order on base and turn the lineup around. 

“I like him there because I think he can get on base in a number of different ways,” Thomson said. “He can turn the line-up over for [Trea] Turner and [Kyle] Schwarber and Harp [Bryce Harper]. Plus, with all their lefties in their bullpen, we had to go right, left, right, left, right, left all the way down, other than the Schwarber-Harper tandem. He gives us a lot of length swinging the bat.”

The more impressive aspect regarding Bader is how quickly he was able to acclimate himself to Philadelphia. Bader was able to gel with his new teammates in the clubhouse after only a few days, as his teammates picked up his energy right off the bat.

In a way, the Phillies needed a player like Bader to spark the clubhouse. Bader, in turn, just wants to win.

That’s where the ch’i set in. They are immediately on the same page. 

“There wasn’t any time to think about anything else but how am I going to help this team today,” Bader said. “Maybe when the game was over, I would talk to myself several times — how do I fit in here, this and that… Those thoughts quickly went away once I realized a couple days in the clubhouse and just seeing how guys interacted and there are no clicks. It’s about coming here, doing your job, executing.” 

Game 2 starter

Rob Thomson officially announced Jesus Luzardo will start Game 2 for the Phillies on Monday, but would not name a Game 3 starter. Ranger Suarez and Aaron Nola will be available out of the bullpen today, as Suarez adds another lefty to the group. Remember, the Phillies don’t play Game 3 until Wednesday — so Suarez would have three full days to rest if he goes an inning or two. 

“Really comfortable with our leverage guys at the end, starting in the sixth inning,” Thomson said. “So it probably will be early, it could be an extra-inning game, that type of thing, for tonight.”

Suarez’s availability depends on how long Game 1 starter Cristopher Sanchez goes. The Phillies also have their full contingent of bullpen arms available, but could pull off all the stops to win Game 1 at home.

That’s where Suarez comes in. 

Kemp makes NLDS roster

Otto Kemp made the postseason roster after joining the Phillies in June and getting sent back down to the minors in August. When Kemp returned on September 8, he hit .250 with an .856 OPS the remainder of the year. 

With Blake Snell going in Game 2 of the Dodgers, Kemp could play in left field for Monday’s contest. The Phillies also have Weston Wilson available as an option. 

“He’s worked hard. He can play all over the diamond. Swings a bat. He’s got a great approach,” Thomson said. “I see either him or Wilson probably playing left field against left-handed pitching. Possibly pinch-hit. Wilson’s more of a pinch-run type guy than Kemp is. 

“But I really like his ability, and I think he’s got a great future.”

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