PHILADELPHIA -- South Philly was home to the start of the NLDS featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. Not seen as traditional rivals since they are across the country from each other, their history in the postseason lends itself to a dramatic series between the two most star-studded lineups in the field.
For many, this is what the World Series should have been - the two best teams in the game facing off. For the guys on the field, it's just another highly important game - with plenty left to play.
Philadelphia fans got the noise started early, trying to rattle two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who got the start for LA. In the second inning, it may have worked. On the other side, Philly had their new ace, Cristopher Sánchez, on the mound. A quick start from both pitchers was erased by long second innings, but one offense made that time mean more, as Philadelphia would put three runs on the board before frame No. 2 was complete.
Unfortunately for them, it was all they could muster. Meanwhile, the Dodgers were able to to get to Philadelphia's bullpen in the sixth and seventh, taking the ever-pivotal first game. The winner of Game 1 has gone on to take their respective series at over a seventy-two percent clip. Let's see how we got there.
Phillies offense, fans jump on Ohtani in 2nd inning
It took two batters into the second frame for Shohei to match his pitch total from the first inning, The result? A walk of Alec Bohm and a single from Brandon Marsh. Still, Ohtani has battled before. He probably felt fine just 22 pitches into the game, even with two on and no one out.
Then J.T. Realmuto stepped up. On the second pitch he saw, he drove a 100 MPH fastball over 100 MPH into the right-center field gap. It looked like Teoscar Hernández might cut it off but he pulled up, allowing the ball to travel to the second-deepest part of the park. Realmuto never relented, hustling all the way to third and driving in two runs.
Two hitters later, Harrison Bader drove the catcher home on a sac fly, and the score was 3-0 Phillies.
During the inning, fans laid into the Japanese pitcher, raining down chants of "Sho-hei, Sho-hei" in an attempt to get the pitcher rattled. Whether it was the Phillies hitters focus, or the noise from the crowd - it worked.
Sánchez successful vs. Dodgers best
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Against the Dodgers, you are challenged throughout their lineup, but especially to start. The first two hitters in their lineup have four MVPs combined, and another winner of the award hitting fourth. They lead the game with none other than Ohtani, but Sánchez was ready.
The Phillies left-hander finished the game allowing two runs on four hits and two walks across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight in the process, generated 18 swing-and-misses (including six from Ohtani), and six of his Ks came against two of the top three in Los Angeles' lineup.
He would get into some trouble in the sixth, allowing two runs on a bullet down the left field line, hit 108.9 MPH by postseason legend Kiké Hernández. David Robertson came in to relieve him and close out the frame.
Great night from Sánchez, who announced to the world his ace status on Saturday night.
Starter's started - but who shuts it down?
For Philadelphia, with their recent bullpen struggles there was a big looming question - who will bridge the game from their elite starting pitching to their elite closer, Jhoan Duran?
Philly did not have an answer to that question Saturday. Once their starter got in trouble, manager Rob Thomson couldn't come up with the right choice. David Robertson got out of the jam Sánchez left for him, but couldn't get himself going again when he came back out for the seventh.
This was the first time the 40-year-old had an up-down outing this season. In the past, Rob Thomson has avoided that situation, noting the emotional dump that occurs getting out of a jam before sitting down for an extended period of time. Manager Rob Thomson said postgame that he didn't want to bring in another right hander at that time as they would have been forced to face Ohtani. Plus - he had only thrown six pitches in the sixth.
While Robertson's stuff didn't deplete, his location nearly vanished and he left the game with two runners aboard. Matt Strahm came on in relief, and his issues with inherited runners continued. The left-hander had been pitching great in the second half of the season, but one of his problems was he allowed runners already on board when he enters a game to score twenty-five percent of the time this season. That trend continued in the seventh.
Strahm surrendered a three-run home run to Teoscar Hernández, who was seemingly prepared after studying Strahm's tape before the series:
Kerkering and Duran pitched great in each of their respective innings, but it was too late for Philly as the offense went ice cold after the second. Three more hits, two more walks, and a hit batsman is all they could muster the rest of the way as the Dodgers went three consecutive starting pitchers - Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki - to shut the door in Philly and take a commanding lead.
Other notes
Harrison Bader had a great game - until he was removed. He drove in the third run for the Phillies on a fly ball that nearly scraped the left field wall and was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat. In the fifth, Bader had maybe the best catch of any Phillies player all season. Before his spot in the order came around in the seventh, he was pinch hit for.
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It was revealed in the press box he left the game with left hamstring tightness. After the game, Rob Thomson noted that was their initial thought, but it is now being ruled "groin tightness." The team will get imaging done tomorrow and should have an update. He experienced the tightness running to second base in the fifth.
After watching the Dodgers use three starting pitchers to shut the door on the Phillies, I asked Rob Thomson if he had considered going to Ranger Suarez, who he told us pregame was available out of the bullpen but likely in earlier innings. He told me, flatly, "no."
Game 1 didn't go their way. They will have a day of rest before coming back out and facing the Dodgers at home once more on Monday before the series moves to Los Angeles. It's as must win as it gets at Citizens Bank Park in two days. No more time for learning or excuses. Just win.
