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09/16 00:15 CDT Phillies clinch NL East title in wild 10th-inning comeback
against Dodgers
Phillies clinch NL East title in wild 10th-inning comeback against Dodgers
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- J.T. Realmuto drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly
in the 10th inning, capping a wild 6-5 comeback victory by the Philadelphia
Phillies over the Los Angeles Dodgers that clinched the NL East title in the
series opener between division leaders.
With Harrison Bader at second base to start the 10th, Kyle Schwarber lined out
to second before Blake Treinen intentionally walked Bryce Harper. Bader and
Harper pulled off a double steal to set up Realmuto's sac fly to right.
The Dodgers had the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, when Mookie Betts
started at second. David Robertson intentionally walked Freddie Freeman and
walked Alex Call before Max Muncy grounded out to first to end it.
Andy Pages homered off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth to tie it 5-5.
Harper's go-ahead home run off reliever Alex Vesia leading off the eighth put
the Phillies ahead 5-4.
With the New York Mets off, the Phillies clinched their second straight
division title after blowing leads of 1-0, 4-3 and 5-4. They had earned their
fourth straight postseason berth on Sunday in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City.
Schwarber hit his 53rd homer against opener Anthony Banda in the first and No.
9 hitter Weston Wilson added a two-run shot off reliever Jack Dreyer in the
seventh for the Phillies.
It was Schwarber's 22nd homer against a lefty, tying Stan Musial in 1949 and
Matt Olson in 2021 for the most by a lefty batter off left-handed pitchers,
according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The NL West-leading Dodgers tied the game 4-4 on Mookie Betts' homer off
reliever Orion Kerkering with two outs in the seventh.
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan didn't allow a hit over 5 2/3 innings and left
with a 3-1 lead after a leadoff double to Otto Kemp in the seventh. Dreyer gave
up a RBI single to Bryson Stott and Wilson followed with his 417-foot shot to
center.
Max Muncy put the Dodgers in front 2-1 with a homer leading off the fifth, his
first since Aug. 11.
Betts had a pair of sacrifice flies, the first tying the game 1-1 in the third
and the second extending the Dodgers' lead to 3-1 in the fifth.
Phillies starter Ranger Surez allowed three runs and seven hits in six
innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Key moment Betts and teammate Shohei Ohtani have each reached base in 20 straight games, tying each other for the second-longest active run in the major leagues. Key stat Two-time MVP Harper is 12-3 in 15 games against three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani's clubs since June 3, 2022. Up next Phillies LHP Cristopher Snchez (13-5, 2.57 ERA) starts Tuesday against Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 3.75). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB |
