As the old sports adage reminds us, “That’s why they play the game.” It’s a reminder that games aren’t won on paper and that a higher seed and home-field advantage offer no guarantees once the first pitch is thrown.
Nowhere has that been more evident than in the Phillies–Dodgers NLDS, where Los Angeles has stunned the higher-seeded No. 2 Phillies by taking a commanding 2–0 series lead. The Dodgers took both games at Citizens Bank Park and now return to Dodger Stadium riding high, needing just one more win to clinch the series and advance to the NLCS.
After winning 5–3 on Saturday evening, the Dodgers carried their October momentum into Monday night, edging out a 4–3 victory. The game itself told two different stories: the first six innings played out evenly, while the final three delivered all the tension and drama of postseason baseball.
For fans who appreciate a classic pitcher’s duel, the first six innings were worth their weight in gold. Both Dodgers starter Blake Snell and Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo kept opposing hitters in check through the early frames. Before the seventh inning, Luzardo had retired 17 consecutive batters and allowed just one hit over six innings of work. His effort even drew praise from the other side, as Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman described the lefty as “amazing” on the mound.
However, in the seventh inning, the Dodgers’ bats came alive, and the game began to unravel for the hometown team. After Teoscar Hernández singled to center and Freeman doubled to right, Los Angeles suddenly had runners on second and third. The momentum had clearly shifted.
Luzardo was pulled by manager Rob Thomson, who turned to Orion Kerkering out of the bullpen. After recording a strikeout to open the appearance, Kerkering induced a weak grounder to shortstop off the bat of Kiké Hernández. The play quickly turned chaotic, as Teoscar Hernández raced home and scored on a close play at the plate. Had Trea Turner’s throw been on target, all signs pointed to Hernández being out, but the toss pulled J.T. Realmuto off the plate, allowing the run to score.
It was now 1–0 Dodgers, and unfortunately for the Phillies, the rally was just beginning.
With Freeman now on third, Kerkering walked third baseman Max Muncy, advancing Hernández to second and loading the bases for the dangerous Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who hit .296 during the regular season. Smith delivered, lining a single to left field that scored both Freeman and Hernández, giving Los Angeles a 3–0 lead.
The Dodgers tacked on another run in the inning as Shohei Ohtani lined an RBI single, his first hit of the series, off Matt Strahm, who replaced Kerkering.
It was 4–0 Dodgers through seven.
The Phillies began to mount a comeback in the bottom of the eighth, as Turner lined an RBI single to score Max Kepler, who had come through with a clutch triple after pinch-hitting for Otto Kemp.
After eight innings, the Phillies had trimmed the deficit to three, with the Dodgers still leading 4–1.
On to the ninth we go, an inning that proved wild, unpredictable, and a reminder of the beauty of this sport. Or, as ESPN so aptly put it, “Welcome to October chaos.”
After an Alec Bohm single and a Realmuto double, Nick Castellanos came to the plate with a prime RBI opportunity. On what could only be described as an awkward swing, Castellanos sent a ball slicing down the left-field line, scoring two runs and sliding safely into second with an impressive double to avoid the tag.
With the score now 4–3 and Citizens Bank Park roaring, Bryson Stott squared to bunt in an effort to advance Castellanos to third. Stott got the bunt down, but Muncy fielded it cleanly and fired to shortstop Mookie Betts, who was covering third on a perfectly executed play. Castellanos was out.
Baseball fans might recognize this as the “wheel play,” a defensive strategy in which the third baseman charges toward the plate while the shortstop covers third.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Muncy and Betts for their effort on the play, calling it perhaps the defining moment of the game. “Those guys executed it to perfection. It was a lot tougher — they made it look a lot easier than it was,” Roberts said. He added, “And for me, that was our only chance, really, to win that game in that moment.”
Down to their final out in the ninth, the Phillies had runners on the corners with Turner at the plate. The Dodgers turned to Roki Sasaki, who had also closed out Saturday’s win, and he got Turner to ground out to second to end the inning, and the game.
However, what should have been a routine final play was anything but. Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman made an errant throw to first, forcing Freeman to drop to his knees and make an extraordinary scoop with his glove. It was a Gold Glove–caliber play from Freeman, one that easily prevented the Phillies from scoring another run.
While Smith, Betts, and Freeman each played key roles in the Dodgers’ victory Monday evening, much of the credit belonged to Snell. Over six innings, Snell allowed just one hit, no earned runs, and struck out nine, keeping in check a typically potent Phillies offense.
Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 9:08 p.m. EDT, and in what may come as a surprise to some, the Phillies will turn to Aaron Nola over left-hander Ranger Suárez. It’s been a challenging season for Nola, who has battled injuries and spent significant time on the injured list. He also posted a career-worst 6.01 ERA in 17 starts.
The Dodgers will counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is coming off a strong outing against the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series in which he pitched 6.2 innings and struck out nine.
Of course, Wednesday will be a do-or-die game for the Phillies, who now need to win three in a row to advance to the next round. “We’ve got nothing to lose now,” Turner said after Monday’s game. “It’s not over, as much as a lot of people like to say that. It’s not over, and we’re not going to quit until they tell us to go home.”
That’s why they play the game.
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