The Philadelphia Phillies were aiming to rebound on Monday after dropping two straight series, but instead suffered a crushing 10-4 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. While much of the blame naturally fell on Taijuan Walker’s performance, many fans also directed their frustration toward manager Rob Thomson — and for good reason.
The turning point came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Phillies were mounting a potential comeback. J.T. Realmuto took a pitch that was clearly outside the strike zone, which should’ve walked in a run and loaded the bases with two outs. Instead, the umpire called it a strike, ending the inning. The Giants wasted no time adding two more insurance runs and cruising to a comfortable win.
Throughout it all, Thomson remained seated and silent in the dugout, failing to come to Realmuto’s defense — a pattern that’s become increasingly frustrating for the fanbase.
Thomson’s Lack of Fire Raising Concerns
Not standing up for your players is bad enough, but in a city like Philadelphia — where passion runs deep through both fans and players — it’s especially unacceptable. Thomson’s calm demeanor has gone from steadying to passive, and Monday’s game only added fuel to that fire.
Thomson continues to manage as if there’s no urgency — a mindset that has plagued the Phillies since the second half of the 2024 season. His postgame comments reflected the same shrug-of-the-shoulders attitude we’ve heard before: no answers, no adjustments, just vague hope that things will turn around on their own.
And while no one’s claiming that an ejection on Monday would’ve flipped the game’s outcome, it could’ve at least shown some spark — something to jolt the team and fans back to life. But once again, there was nothing.
A Solid Roster Missing a Leader’s Edge
The Phillies roster is strong on paper, but their performance hasn’t matched their talent for a while now. At some point, Thomson needs to realize that doing the same thing over and over isn’t working. Monday was another missed opportunity to provide the jolt this team clearly needs.
Yes, Thomson is capable of leading a team to the playoffs — he’s proven that. But so far, he hasn’t been able to take them all the way. And perhaps his laid-back, unresponsive style of managing is part of why this team continues to fall short when it matters most.
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