2025 NLDS: Rob Thomson’s Controversial Bunt Leaves Phillies One Out Short

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson’s decision to call for a bunt in Game 2 of the NLDS became an immediate flashpoint among Phillies fans — and for good reason. With no outs and Nick Castellanos sitting on second, Philadelphia had real momentum in the ninth, trailing by just one and hoping to tie or take the lead in walk-off fashion.

Instead of letting Bryson Stott swing away, Thomson opted for the bunt. The plan was to catch Los Angeles off guard — “left on left, we’re trying to tie the score,” he later explained — and to trust his bullpen matchup over theirs in the late innings. He also cited how the Dodgers had masked their wheel play well, saying that Mookie Betts “broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up.”

Stott executed the bunt — but the Dodgers were ready, Max Muncy charged and gunned down Castellanos at third. The play swung momentum back to the Dodgers and Los Angeles closed out the inning with two more outs to seal a 4–3 victory.

Fans weren’t shy about voicing their displeasure. Many felt that bunting in that situation — no outs, a slow runner in scoring position, power bats still looming in the lineup — was too defensive for postseason baseball. But Thomson defended it as a numbers-based gamble, observing his bullpen situation and the matchups at hand as justification.

The decision joins a string of controversial postseason moves for Topper, including pulling Zack Wheeler earlier than expected in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series and turning to Craig Kimbrel when the veteran closer was clearly out of bullets in the 2023 NLCS. Each controversial choice has done one thing, fueled debate over whether Thomson’s postseason strategy makes him the right guy to bring another parade down Broad St.