Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly made a big mistake ahead of his scheduled start in Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday.
Kelly was asked about going to face the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where the fans are known for being loud and rowdy. Kelly said he wasn’t too worried about the atmosphere because he didn’t think it would be louder than the World Baseball Classic game his team played against Venezuela in Miami in March.
“I haven’t obviously heard this place on the field, but I’d be very surprised if [the crowd noise at The Bank] trumped that Venezuela game down in Miami,” Kelly said to the media on Tuesday.
“I’d be very surprised if [the crowd noise at The Bank] trumped that Venezuela game down in Miami.”
Diamondback’s pitcher Merrill Kelly just made a huge mistakepic.twitter.com/ePXOApz4me
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) October 17, 2023
It’s important to note that Kelly did not pitch in that game against Venezuela. But that seems like a challenge to Phillies fans, who will take it personally.
Kelly also said on Sunday that the fans being loud is “fun.”
Merrill Kelly on pitching at Citizens Bank Park:
"Everyone says it's kind of intimidating, but I feel like that's the fun part.
"[Whether] they're yelling at you or for you, as long as there's 40,000-50,000 people in the stands, that's what we get excited for." pic.twitter.com/7KZcawoWd4
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) October 15, 2023
Trea Turner, who plays shortstop for the Phillies and was teammates with Kelly in the World Baseball Classic, thinks Kelly may be underestimating things.
“We’ll see what he says after tonight’s game,” Turner said.
Phillies SS Trea Turner when told that Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly says it’s hard for him to imagine that Citizens Bank Park could be any louder than it was in Miami during the WBC against Venezuela: ‘We’ll see what he says after tonight’s game.’’
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 17, 2023
Kelly has already made one successful start on the road this postseason. He went 6.1 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and got the win. He’s hoping to replicate that success against the Phillies.
