PHILADELPHIA -- Justin Crawford didn’t just celebrate the Phillies’ postseason clinch. He dove right into it.
Beer was flying in the clubhouse, and Crawford was in the middle of it, grinning as Brandon Marsh, Derek Hill and others soaked him after Game 162. For a rookie who spent the first 53 games of his career searching for his footing, it was the kind of moment that sticks.
"This is awesome man. ," Crawford said to Phillies On SI. Everything that you dream of, ever since I was a little kid. I wanted to come out here and finally being able to do it with the guys, with the boys.
"This was just a really special moment. Man, I'm just enjoying it all."
Crawford is one of three Phillies rookies getting their first taste of the postseason, along with Andrew Painter and Alex McFarlane. They all arrived at the champagne-soaked finish line in different ways, but the end result was the same: a berth secured after a long season.
Painter’s path was the bumpiest. He started with a 7.06 ERA in his first 14 games and got sent to the minors, where he worked in Triple-A Lehigh Valley on command and on why his fastball was off from location to velocity.
When he returned to the Phillies on July 31, everything changed. Over his final 11 starts, he posted a 3.65 ERA, striking out 62 and walking 23 in 61.2 innings pitch.
He isn’t the type to turn every milestone into a party, but he still paused to take it in. The rookie season had plenty of highs and lows, and Painter said the hard parts made this moment mean more.
"If it was easy, everyone would do it right?" Painter said.
"The lows make you enjoy the highs a little bit more You put the work in and you'll get to where you wanna be. You'll really cherish those moments."
Crawford and Painter were right there together as the celebration unfolded, and Crawford said that made it even more meaningful.
"We both tried to soak it in. We came up with each other," Crawford said.
"That's my guy, that's my dog. That was really special to do this with him."
Crawford’s own season split into two very different chapters. Through his first 53 games, he hit .234 with a .638 OPS while mostly working in a platoon role.
Since June 1, after some swing adjustments and a move into an everyday role, he hit .283 with a .681 OPS. Against lefties, he hit .333 with an .843 OPS.
He handled the celebration the same way he handled the season’s second half: all in. The beer kept coming, and Crawford kept smiling through it.
"Day by day. I was so thankful to come out here and be with the guys all season," Crawford said.
"Enjoyed being accountable for the ups and downs, but give credit to everyone in this clubhouse. They told me to keep fighting and enjoy the process."
McFarlane’s rise was different, but no less important. He went from an under-the-radar arm with velocity to a reliever trusted enough to pitch in Game 162.
He put together a 2.06 ERA in 35 games for Reading before reaching the majors, where he was briefly called up in April as an extra pitcher but stayed only one day. After four appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he stuck with the Phillies for good and became a useful piece in a bullpen that needed help from within.
He finished with a 2.84 ERA in 19 games with the Phillies, striking out 20 and walking 7.
For a club that has leaned on Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, this postseason also marked the arrival of a younger wave. Crawford, Painter and McFarlane are part of that next layer, and this clinch gave them their first real taste of what that can look like.
"We fought hard to get in. And we fought to the end. ," Crawford said.
"Now we're in. Let's keep it rolling."
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