$15 playoff tickets: Prices for NLCS Game 3 in Phoenix plummet with Diamondbacks in 2-0 hole

With their unlikely run to the National League Championship Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks had appeared to recapture the attention of Phoenix sports fans. Now, just two games into their NLCS appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies, they seem to have lost nearly all of that goodwill.

Ticket prices for Game 3 of the NLCS, the first in Arizona, have plunged. Where the starting price of the "get-in" (cheapest) tickets were $115, fans can now buy their entry for as little as $15 according to TickPick. That's a stunning 87% price drop.

For comparison, the cheapest tickets for Game 1 in Philadelphia per TickPick's data started at $467. Tickets for Game 2 started at $422.

While it was always true interest from Phillies fans was higher — even at their starting prices, tickets for all three games in Phoenix combined were still cheaper than a ticket in Philadelphia — the difference in price has become shockingly stark.

Bob Nightengale: Embrace the Chaos: Diamondbacks vow to be more aggressive in NLCS Game 3 vs. Phillies

The Phillies and the importance of the home run

The home run has never been more important than it is in today's version of the game, especially in the postseason.

So far this year, over 52% of all runs scored in the playoffs have come via the home run. According to Baseball Prospectus, "that's the highest proportion in the 30-team era."

Considering that scoring is usually down in the postseason — so far this year, average runs per game have dipped by 0.88 from the regular season — the value of a home run increases dramatically.

Part of why the Phillies have been so successful this year is because they've been able to hit so many while limiting the damage their opponents do. The 2015 Mets hold the current record margin of out-homering their opponents in the postseason, 20 to eight, but the Phillies are on pace to break it, with 19 home runs to their opponents' four.

So far in two games of the NLCS alone, Philadelphia has hit six home runs. They've scored an average of 7.5 runs per game. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have hit just one home run and scored three runs across two games of the NLCS, all in Game 1.

There are plenty of other factors in a scoring offense, but the home run has literally never been as important as it has been during the 2023 postseason. For Arizona to crawl back into the series and recapture their fans' attention, it would behoove them to start hitting for more power while — if at all possible — limiting the damage of Philly bats.

ALCS: Perfect no more, Rangers suddenly face Championship Series test: 'Nobody said it was gonna be easy'

NLCS Game 3 starting pitchers

Ranger Suárez (1-0, 1.04 ERA this postseason) will take the mound for the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS.

The Diamondbacks will be relying on rookie Brandon Pfaadt (0-0, 3.86 postseason ERA) to keep the team from falling to a difficult 3-0 deficit in the Championship Series.

NLCS Game 3: Philadelphia Phillies at Arizona Diamondbacks odds, picks and predictions

Contributing: Bob Nightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diamondbacks Phillies ticket prices plummet in Phoenix before Game 3