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The Philadelphia Phillies absolutely teed off on Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Tuesday night in Game 3 of the World Series, slugging five home runs off the righty en route to a 7-0 victory.
There was some speculation that McCullers was potentially tipping pitches, but as Tom Verducci pointed out, it simply came down to the 29-year-old relying on the soft stuff instead of attacking the Philadelphia offense with his mid-90s fastball.
“Run with it if you like. But here’s what really happened at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night: McCullers threw 82% of his pitches in the narrow range of 82 to 89 miles per hour against the Phillies. Eighty-two percent. McCullers can throw as hard as 96 miles per hour, but he uses his fastball like a demitasse spoon, which is to say only on special occasions.”
The Phillies sat breaking ball all night long. McCullers relies on his ability to throw strikes and he did so, but they honestly just lit him up when he left his off-speed offerings in the heart of the plate. The Astros right-hander said it best:
“I got whooped,” McCullers said. “End of story … This had nothing to do with tipping. I was out there. They beat me. They beat us.”
McCullers speaking facts. In fact, he became the first pitcher in World Series history to allow five long balls. Not exactly a record to be proud of. The Phillies have been rolling this entire postseason and with the atmosphere of Citizens Bank Park behind them, they're only two wins away from a title. We'll see if Philadelphia can get to Cristian Javier in Game 4 on Wednesday evening and take a 3-1 series lead.
