Phillies' Bullpen Woes and Craig Kimbrel's Uncertain Role Threaten Championship Hopes
The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a crushing 6-5 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the NLCS as their bullpen collapsed under pressure. Manager Rob Thomson's decisions, including starting Cristopher Sánchez after a 20-day layoff and carrying two pitchers they didn't want to use, backfired. The Phillies have pitching advantages but failed to capitalize on them, and their bullpen struggles have raised questions about how they proceed. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Phillies must rely on ace Zack Wheeler to carry the team in Game 5.