See what happens when the top of the lineup hits like the top of the lineup? The Phils aren’t done yet. And it’s not too crazy to think they can pull this thing off. It’s gotta be the powder blues.
Also in this edition:
- Topper’s save: Rob Thomson’s genius might have preserved his job with a must-win Game 3.
- What a grab: Bohm’s catch felt like a game changer.
- Move up J.T.: The Phils scored eight runs, but they could still tweak their lineup for Game 4.
— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)
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Not so fast, L.A.
It’s going to be something if the Phillies win three straight to reach the NLCS but the heavy lifting is over.
Of the three wins the Phils need, Wednesday night’s 8-2 romp was the biggest challenge. The Phils pieced together their pitching in an elimination game on the road with two starters while facing a Cy Young contender who had not allowed an earned run in 24 innings. There’s no easy wins in October, but they won’t get tougher than that.
The Phils have their Cy Young contender on the mound Thursday night against Tyler Glasnow, who is L.A.’s starter not named Snell, Ohtani, or Yamamoto. The Phils forced Dave Roberts to use four relievers on Wednesday night and avoided using Jhoan Duran. They’ll have Cristopher Sánchez and a full bullpen ready for Game 4 with the possibility for a six-out save from Duran.
The series felt finished after Game 2. Now? There’s no reason to think the Phils can’t bring the series home for Game 5. And then anything can happen.
Glasnow was excellent this season (3.19 ERA in 18 starts) but looked ordinary as a reliever in Game 1 vs. the Phils. He faced eight batters and allowed half of them to reach base. Way back in April, Glasnow started vs. the Phils and failed to record an out in the third inning as he walked five and gave up five runs before being lifted.
This could be a favorable matchup for the Phillies in Game 4. Glasnow threw his fastball 41% of the time this season to left-handed hitters and only three teams had a better slugging percentage by left-handed hitters against right-handed fastballs.
The Phils won in Game 3 because they received the production they expected from the top of their lineup. Trea Turner was 3 for 5, Kyle Schwarber homered twice, and Bryce Harper had two hits. Schwarber and Harper slugged .623 this season against right-handed fastballs. They should be in a good spot to keep it going in Game 4 vs. Glasnow.
If so, the Phils’ flight home will be fueled with momentum instead of jet fuel. Citizens Bank Park will be electric on Saturday, the Phils already made Ohtani look human, and Jesús Luzardo was excellent in Game 2. Why not? First, they have to win on Thursday night. The Phils picked themselves up off the mat in Game 3. They’re back in the fight.
Coverage cleanup
