STEP UP TO THE PLATE:<\/strong> Sign up now to get top sports headlines delivered daily<\/p>\nSegura endured every emotion of that in one single inning, and lived to tell himself, going from a goat to a hero to a goat to a hero. <\/p>\n
The drama began in the fourth inning. The Phillies were clinging to a 1-0 lead after Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff homer and Phillies starter Ranger Suarez induced what appeared to be an easy double-play grounder to shortstop Bryson Stott. Stott flipped the ball quickly to Segura for the first out, only for Segura to drop it. Second-base umpire Doug Eddings initially ruled that Segura got at least one out, dropping the ball on the exchange, only for the call to be overturned. <\/p>\n
So, instead of an inning-ending double play, one run scored, runners were on first and second, and there was still just one out. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s the play that I probably made 3,000 times in my life,\u201d Segura said, \u201cbut for some reason I missed it. \u2026 As a player, you learn from your mistake, and you never put your head down. Just keep it up, continue to play the game because you don’t know how the game’s going to end.” <\/p>\n\n
Segura walked to the mound, first baseman Rhys Hoskins said, and uttered the words: \u201c’Hey Ranger, give me another one. Right away.’ That’s just the kind of mentality you have to have, and it’s awesome to see Jean come through.” <\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re all going to make mistakes,” Segura says. \u201cWe’re human. \u2026I feel really bad when I make that mistake, but I don’t let that bother me. I keep playing the game the right way. I keep hustling. I keep diving for baseballs. That’s the way you want to handle the mistake, not let it get to your head. <\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of, ‘Coach, I’m here. I’m scared for them to hit it to me. I’m not ready.’<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, let it go by. \u2026Maybe I get an opportunity later in the game to win the game, or maybe do something special tonight.” <\/p>\n
Well, redemption was just around the corner. The Phillies rally in the bottom of the fourth with runners on second and third with two outs. Segura walked to the plate. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn his at-bat,\u201d Realmuto said, \u201cwe were actually screaming from the dugout. We’ve seen it before. He pushes that button.” <\/p>\n
Padres starter Joe Musgrove quickly got ahead with two strikes, threw a ball in the dirt that Segura laid off. He fouled off a 93-mph fastball the next pitch. Musgrove, knowing Segura would be aggressive, threw a slider, low and away, barely above the ground. <\/p>\n
Segura swung anyway, and hit a soft fly ball to center field. He watched the ball drop. He spiked his bat. And her ran to first base. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt’s very important when you’ve got players that can handle the pressure with two outs, with the game on the line,” Segura says, \u201cand be able to come through. I mean, that’s the game I really love.” <\/p>\n
The fact that it was almost an unhittable pitch, where few hitters dare to go, made no difference. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all making a joke in the dugout,” Realmuto said, \u201cthat I can’t believe they threw him a chase breaking ball. Not many people can put a bat on a pitch like that.” <\/p>\n
And that spike? <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we see the bat spike,” Realmuto said, \u201cthere’s usually some anger behind it. The bat flip? Guys aren’t too upset.” <\/p>\n
It was three innings later in the seventh, with the Phillies leading 4-2, when the Padres threatened again. They had a runner on first base when Kim hit a bullet headed towards right-center for a possible RBI, bringing Juan Soto to the plate. Segura dove to his left, snagged it, got up, threw to first, and then put on a show that had the crowd dancing in their seats. <\/p>\n
Segura threw his right hand into the air. He kicked his right leg up towards the sky. He jumped up, came down, flexed his muscles, and screamed, \u201cLet’s go!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like flexing with him,\u201d Realmuto said. <\/p>\n
Six outs later, and the Phillies had their victory, leaving them just two victories away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 2009. <\/p>\n
pressure? <\/p>\n
Uh-uh. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I handle pressure since I was a little kid, I love it \u2026.” Segura says. \u201cIt’s just the way we handle the pressure in Dominican Republic. Even when we play winter ball, we’ve got guys in the stands, \u201cHey, when you get out, we’re going to kill you. We’re going to do something bad to you.’ It’s just the way we play the game out there. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cCompared to here, when you come here, dude, it’s a completely different type of game. I think the pressure, when you come from the DR, it’s nothing.” <\/p>\n
So, while the entire city of Philadelphia may be freaking out, and his team owner saying he can’t sleep with the stress, you really believe Segura is going to come unnerved knowing that he’s playing the most critical games of his life? <\/p>\n
\u201cI waited 11 years for the opportunity,” Segura said. \u201cI’m not going to go back. I’m going to do the best I can to continue to grind it, to continue to help the ball club, and bring something positive every single day. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just waited too many years for the opportunity, and I don’t want to let it go by.” <\/p>\n
Funny, the entire Phillies organization can say the same, going 11 years without reaching the postseason, and 4,388 days without winning an NLCS home game, dating back to Oct. 17, 2010. <\/p>\n
They are tired of seeing the highlights and memories of their past glory years, winning the World Series in 2008, and before that in 1980. They want to create their own history. They want to be the model of perseverance and resiliency. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve talked about it all year,\u201d Hoskins said. \u201cPhysical mistakes are going to happen on the field, but good teams find a way to absorb those, whether that’s the next inning, later in the game, but we got good players to do that, and we lean on each other, especially when things don’t go well. .. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cI feel like we’ve had a few of those throughout the year. I’m becoming less and less surprised with us coming up with big hits, or just finding ways to win games that we don’t feel like we’re supposed to. It’s what we’ve done all year. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s weird. It’s wacky. It’s beautiful.” <\/p>\n
It’s Philly baseball, 2022 style. <\/p>\n
Follow Bob Nightengale on Twitter @Bnightengale<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n