Did Phillies Make Mistake Not Taking Batting Practice Before Game 3?

The Philadelphia Phillies made an interesting decision before Game 3 of the NLCS. Despite being in a new ballpark, they only hit in the batting cages instead of on the field.

The Philadelphia Phillies didn't look like themselves in the Game 3 loss of the National League Championship Series on Thursday.

After their offense was red hot at home against the Atlanta Braves and the first two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it looked completely different during their second loss of the postseason.

The Phillies only scored one run on three hits. Their lone run came on a wild pitch and 13 batters were rung up.

Not quite the same offense that Philadelphia had been putting on the field.

It would be unrealistic to expect a baseball team to continue a pace that would have been one of the best offensive runs in MLB Playoffs history, but still, that type of drop off was more than noticeable.

Something could have factored into their poor offensive performance.

The Phillies didn't take batting practice on the field before the game and just hit in the cages instead.

Could that have been the main reason why the offense was so quiet?

Maybe. Maybe not.

The TBS commentating team kept mentioning how the ball was hard to pick up in the Diamondbacks' home stadium because it's darker than other environments.

Taking the field for batting practice might have helped them adjust to the different looking backdrop than what they became accustomed to while playing at home for four days in a row.

Philadelphia was also facing a pitcher they had never seen before.

Brandon Pfaadt is a rookie with electric stuff when he's dialed in.

That was the case Thursday as he struck out nine Phillies batters and only gave up two hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Philadelphia has decided to take batting practice on the field ahead of Game 4. Maybe that will kick their offense back into gear in Arizona.