Dodger Stadium is used to having a Japanese phenom headline the night. Tuesday night, it was a catcher from Venezuela who stole the limelight. Rafael Marchán hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to lead the Phillies in a 9-6 victory over the Dodgers. The 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
With the win, the Phillies (91-61) have secured the season series over the Dodgers (84-67) at 4-1. Additionally, the Phillies hold a 6.5-game lead on the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the National League and a subsequent bye through the NL Wild Card round. The magic number to lock in the bye for the Phillies is down to four.
Waiting out the greatest Sho on earth
For the first time in his Major League career, Shohei Ohtani took the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies. He lived up to his reputation. Ohtani kept the Phillies hitless through five innings of work, striking out five batters. His only blemish came in the first inning as the three-time MVP walked two-time MVP Bryce Harper on five pitches.
Later in the game, Ohtani made history yet again, slugging his 50th home run of the season in the eighth inning against David Robertson. Ohtani is now the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and strike out 50 batters in the same season.
Sánchez solid through struggles
Cristopher Sánchez pitched seven innings of baseball, outlasting Ohtani, who was finished after five innings of work. Over Sánchez’s seven innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, striking out six batters.
Three of Sánchez’s four runs came in the second inning. Alex Call hit a solo home run on a 2-1 slider low-and-inside to break the ice. Andy Pages followed up with a single into left field before Enrique Hernández ripped a two-run home run into left-center field. This is only the third time this season that Sánchez has allowed two home runs in a game.
Pages and Hernández then worked together to bat Tommy Edman in in the bottom of the fourth for the fourth run on Sánchez’s docket. Edman reached on a leadoff single, later advancing to third on a single from Pages before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Hernández.
Bullpen blow-ups
When Ohtani handed the ball over to Justin Wrobleski to start the sixth inning, the Dodgers had a 4-0 lead. By the end of the inning, the Phillies had a 6-4 lead. Marchán, Harrison Bader, and Kyle Schwarber hit back-to-back-to-back singles with one out to load the bases. Bryce Harper then stepped up to the plate and slugged a two-run double into right field to put the Phillies on the board.
Brandon Marsh then cleared the slate for the Phillies, blasting a three-run go-ahead shot into right field. Just as the Dodgers thought the inning was about to conclude, Max Kepler added a one-run shot with two outs to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead for Sánchez.
Up by two runs, the Phillies turned to David Robertson to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Ohtani led off with his 50th home run on a cutter. After recording an out to Mookie Betts, Robertson then allowed Teoscar Hernández to reach on a double before being removed in favor of Tanner Banks. Banks loaded the bases but managed to get out with only Hernández scoring to tie the game up at 6-6 going into the ninth.
Marchán on
Dodger’s reliever Blake Treinen worked two quick outs in hopes of keeping the Phillies scoreless in the top of the ninth. Weston Wilson got the ball rolling with a double into left field. With a runner in scoring position, Treinen opted not to pitch to Bryson Stott, intentionally walking him to get to Marchán.
Marchán, who started in place of an under-the-weather J.T. Realmuto, entered the day with a .194 average and one home run in 93 at-bats on the season. With two runners on, Marchán took a 3-1 cutter 362 feet down the right field line, bouncing off the top of the fence to give the Phillies the 9-6 lead.
With a three-run lead, Jhoan Duran took the call for the bottom of the ninth, needing 12 pitches to work the Dodgers into three straight groundouts to end the game.
Phillies-Dodgers finale
With the season series on lock, the Phillies will look to go for the sweep Wednesday night in LA. Jesús Luzardo will go up against Blake Snell in the 10:10 p.m. matchup.
