The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were locked into a pitcher’s duel until the end, but after it all, the Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series with a walk-off, 2-1 victory, in NL Division Series Game 4.
Tyler Glasnow made his first postseason start for the Dodgers, and he was every bit of what they hoped for. Glasnow pitched six shutout innings while giving up just two hits, striking out eight and walking three.
The only time he ran into some real trouble came in the first inning, when Kyle Schwarber hit a one-out double and Alec Bohm walked. But Glasnow was able to keep the Phillies off the board by striking out Brandon Marsh to end the inning.
There was only one other instance where a Phillies’ player got into scoring position against Glasnow, which happened when Max Kepler stole second base with two outs after he reached on a walk to lead off the fifth inning.
But for as good as Glasnow was, Cristopher Sánchez was every bit as good, if not even better. Sánchez kept the Dodgers off the board for the first six innings of the game, limiting them to just five hits with no walks.
Once Glasnow was out of the game, it gave the Phillies some life. Emmet Sheehan took over and immediately surrendered a leadoff single.
Sheehan nearly forced a double play, but he was unable to catch the throw from Mookie Betts while covering the bag, and it led to a runner on second with one out, rather than no one on with two outs.
The Phillies took advantage as Nick Castellanos then doubled in the first run of the game for either side.
The seventh inning proved to be a tale of two managerial decisions, and neither worked out in the end. While the Dodgers took Glasnow out with 83 pitches, the Phillies left Sánchez in with 80 pitches, and the cracks finally started to show.
Alex Call worked a two-out walk and Kiké Hernández followed with a single. That was the end for Sánchez with Jhoan Duran entering.
After Duran got Pages to ground out, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked to load the bases. That was followed by a battle from Mookie Betts, which ended with a walk that tied the game.
Duran got out of the inning and ended up pitching a scoreless eighth.
Roki Sasaki gave the Dodgers two perfect innings out of the bullpen, striking out a batter to keep the game tied heading into the ninth.
Dodgers and Phillies extra innings pitcher’s duel
After the Dodgers failed to score and the game went to extra innings, Sasaki pitched his third perfect inning of the game. The Phillies turned to Jesús Luzardo in the 10th, even though he was expected to be their Game 5 starter, and he set the Dodgers down in order.
Alex Vesia pitched the 11th without allowing a run, and Luzardo went back out for the Phillies. Luzardo allowed a one-out single to Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy singled with two outs.
The Phillies then turned to Orion Kerkering, who walked Kiké Hernández. Andy Pages then hit a comebacker to the mound, but Kerkering was unable to field it cleanly, then rushed a throw to home and threw the ball away, allowing the Dodgers to walk it off.
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