By: Matthew Mack
The defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers came into town to face the Phillies in a weekend series at Citizen Bank Park. After sweeping the Colorado Rockies in the previous series, the Phillies hope to continue their good start to the season. The Dodgers coming in this series are undefeated and looking to continue their great start.
Friday night, Jesus Luzardo has his turn in the starting rotation versus Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers. The Phils got the first run in the game when Trea Turner stole 3rd and scored on a throwing error by Yamamoto in the first. Outside of that, both starting pitchers settled in and no one scored in their outing. Luzardo pitched seven innings of work, two hits, eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Yamamoto pitched six innings while mowing down five hitters on three hits and three walks. The run that Yamamoto surrendered was unearned. In the seventh inning, Bryson Stott knocked in an RBI to bring in Max Kepler to make it 2-0. Brandon Marsh also added to the run as he grounded out to send in Nick Castellaños to score. In the 8th, Shohei Otani hit a sharp line drive to right with two outs. As the Dodgers were threatening to cut the lead down, Ohtani attempted to steal second. Catcher J.T. Realmuto reminded everyone why he is the Best Catcher In Baseball as he gunned down Ohtani to end the inning. In the 9th, both Phillies relievers Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado weren’t available. It was up to Jordan Romano to close it for the Phils. Tommy Edman slammed a two-run home run to finally get on the board for the Dodgers after surrendering a walk by Romano. Before that, Realmuto was seen by the Phils trainer about his throwing hand. Later, in the inning, Chris Taylor, who was a pinch-runner for Will Smith who walked in the inning, attempted to steal second after Max Muncy struck out. Originally called safe by second base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt, Phillies manager Rob Thompson challenged the play and the call was reversed. Realmuto gunned another down, but to end the game and get the win three-two.
On Saturday, Aaron Nola for the Phillies, took to the hill versus Roki Sasaki in the second game of the series. The Phillies scored first with an RBI groundout by Alec Bohm to Edman at second, scoring Kyle Schwarber. After that, it was all Dodgers as they hit two homers in the game. Enrique Hernandez with a two-run homer run and Michael Conforto with a solo homer. Nola was charged with all the runs surrendered in the game in his six innings of work. The Phillies as a team could muster up only four hits in the entire game as they went on to lose this one, three-one, splitting the series.
On Sunday afternoon, the two combatants go at it one more time for the winner of the series. The Dodgers started the first inning with a Teoscar Hernandez two-run home run to get on the board early. The Phillies responded in a huge way. Bryce Harper singled in a run to put the Phils on the board. Castellanos broke it wide open with a grand slam home run. Before the slam, Schwarber scored on a wild pitch by Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow. Six runs scored in the inning. The Dodgers chipped away at the lead with a home run by Hernandez, his second of the day, and an RBI double in his next at bat. In the 7th, Mookie Betts would hit a RBI double to pull the game within one. Hernandez strikes again with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Othani. Smith also knocked in a RBI later in the inning to take the lead, seven-six. The Phillies, once again answered back in the bottom half of the inning with Bryson Stott line drive base hit to right, scoring Harper and Edmundo Sosa beating out a ground ball that would have been a double play, scoring Max Kepler to take the lead. Though this game had some ups and downs, Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez threw for nine strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings, giving up four runs and two homers. Matt Strahm and Alvarado gave the Phillies the shutdown innings they needed to take the win and the series, eight-seven.
This series, though early in the infancy of season, tested the metal of this Phillies team. Realmuto showed off to a national audience on why he is the BCIB, Best Catcher In Baseball. Though the season is nine games in, everyone in the MLB has to play the full 162-game baseball season. The Phillies walked away with a record of 7-2. Monday, the Phils have the day off and will face their division rival Atlanta Braves on the road. Zack Wheeler may get that start for the first game in that series. The Braves are really struggling at 1-8 at this point in the season. So far, this team is playing well and is right where they need to be. Winning the first three series is very important and gives this team room to do more damage down the road and fix any problem that could come, such as Romero’s struggles coming out of the bullpen. Remember this: no team cannot win a World Series championship in April. It is a long season. The name of the game to get that rhythm, establish it, and keep it going. I think the Phils are doing just that.
