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An unconventional ticket-buying strategy by Philadelphia Phillies fans is making waves as the team faces the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday.
According to reports, Phillies fans are buying up tickets for the away game at Chase Field. This is not with the intent to cheer their team on, but to leave the seats vacant, aiming to diminish the D-backs' home-field advantage.
The baseball community has united in disapproval of the strategy. Fans questioned the financial sense behind buying tickets only to let them go unused.
The already high cost of attending playoff games adds to fans' frustrations when tactics like empty-seat strategies risk ruin the atmosphere. Such actions give fans a reason to be upset.
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Meanwhile, others found a degree of humor in the audacity of such a tactic but also questioned its integrity.
Ticket prices for Game 3 of the NLCS in Arizona have seen a dramatic drop, too. Initially priced at $115, entry can now be secured for as low as $15, according to ticket marketplace TickPick. In stark contrast, the least expensive tickets for the series' games in Philadelphia started at over $400.
The Diamondbacks will face elimination if they lose Game 3 to the Phillies
The stakes are high. The Diamondbacks will face elimination if they lose Thursday's home game.
The Phillies are sending Ranger Suarez to the mound, who had a standout series against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
On the other side, the D-backs will deploy rookie Brandon Pfaadt, fresh off a division series-clinching performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are struggling offensively which has hindered their performance in the NLCS. In stark contrast, the Philadelphia Phillies' offense is firing on all cylinders, teeing off at a historic pace.
Each of the Phillies' last 13 home runs has been a solo shot, setting a record for the longest stretch of solo homers in postseason history.
As Game 3 begins, tensions run high between the two teams.
