LOS ANGELES — After getting plastered by the Royals Sunday in a game where the Phillies could have clinched the NL East with a win, the team had to sit for hours on a broken down plane until another arrived, fly cross country and then wait until the seventh inning to get their second hit of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But it was all worth it as the Phillies recorded a thrilling come-from-behind extra-inning win to secure the division. A sacrifice fly from J.T. Realmuto scored Harrison Bader after the later innings of the game saw a go-ahead home run by Bryce Harper in the eighth and an uncharacteristic blown save by Jhoan Duran in the ninth.
“Being down early like we were, we had one hit until the seventh inning, they’re just tough, they’re resilient,” said manager Rob Thomson. “I’m proud of them, I really am. This is a really special group.”
“We don’t have Wheels (Zack Wheeler) but we have a deep rotation,” said Thomson. “Deeper than we’ve had in the past, I think. The additions of Duran, he’s a guy that’s going to shut down a game. You can pretty much book it. The addition of David Robertson. Those guys have really helped this club. I think we’re a little bit different than we were in the past and I think we can do some things. We’re going to slug but we can also play some small ball to win games, too. It’s a good balance.”
The Phillies found out they clinched a playoff spot Sunday while sitting on the busted plane, but there was no celebrating that. Rob Thomson and his team wanted to wait until a real celebration could be done. The wait was well worth it, it seemed, as Harper pumped his fists and clapped his way around the bases after his go-ahead homer.
“We’re a really good team and I think we’re playing really good baseball right now,” said Harper. “We’ve got a bigger picture and things on our mind that we want to win in playing in October and into November. Every team we’ve had the last couple of years have been really good. Just hasn’t happened, hasn’t finished with a win. We have to understand that we’re a really good team and ebbs and flows of a season, obviously, but we’ve got a really good team.”
But Andy Pages prolonged the game with his home run to left off Duran that sent the game to extra innings. With Harrison Bader on second with one out in the 10th, the Dodgers intentionally walked Harper. He and Bader then pulled off a double steal and Bader scored on Realmuto’s fly ball to right.
David Robertson worked out of a bases loaded jam in the 10th with one out to close out the game and trigger the on-field celebration.
“That’s a tough situation,” said Robertson. “They have a really good lineup and trying to finagle your way around that. I just tried to be smart. Me and J.T. took a few minutes to try and talk some things over. Every call was his and every call was right. I tried to give it to him as best I could on every pitch and fortunately we were able to sneak out of that inning without giving up a run.”
Kyle Schwarber, who turned his No. 12 around to 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day, reached out and poked a first-inning home run, his 53rd of the season, to right-center off Dodgers opener Anthony Banda to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. It seemed to be a good start for the Phillies, but it turned out it was the only hit they would get in the first six innings as Emmet Sheehan was spectacular.
The Phillies were able to tag relievers Jack Dreyer and Alex Vesia for three runs in two innings to complete another memorable game for them at Dodgers Stadium.
The Phillies’ second hit of the night led off the seventh inning — a double by Otto Kemp to left. He scored on a Bryson Stott single before Weston Wilson then hit a no-doubter to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. But that was short-lived.
Mookie Betts homered off Orion Kerkering in the seventh to tie the game. Harper answered big time with his 27th homer of the season to center, setting off his mini celebration.
A bigger one awaited in the Phillies clubhouse after the game.
Matt Strahm pitched a perfect eighth inning before closer Jhoan Duran gave up a home run to Andy Pages in the ninth as the Dodgers tied the game at 5-5.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez entered the game having allowed just three earned runs over 30 2/3 innings in his last five starts. He was good against the Dodgers but it’s hard to maintain the level of excellence he’s held over the past month.
Suarez finished his start after six innings and allowed seven hits, three runs and struck out five.
The Phillies now trail the Milwaukee Brewers, who were idle on Monday, by 1.5 games for the best record in the National League for the top seed in the playoffs.
“It’s always different, it’s a different road each time,” said Stott. “Different team and different guys. It’s always a blessing. The group of guys we have is great and every day to come to the field is a blessing. I don’t take myself too seriously and I just want to go out and win.”
They have done that 90 times this season against 61 losses. If they have played better baseball during this long season than they have over the past 15 games or so, it’s hard to find.
“The last four years have been the most fun I’ve had in baseball in my forty years in baseball,” said Thomson. “And I tell you that truthfully. It’s because of the guys. Being in charge isn’t that much fun sometimes, but being with these guys, it’s been a lot of fun because you see them fight and see them work. They have a lot of fun. I don’t feel 62. This has been fabulous.”
“I feel like this never gets old,” said Brandon Marsh. “To be on top of this division, one of the best in all of baseball if not the best, it’s a blessing to be where we’re at. We’ve got more work to do.
“We preserver, we fight to the last out. Kyle got us going early and then we went dead a little bit and we got back up. Ranger pitched phenomenal. I loved the Orion attacked them. Drob closing it out. You can’t really ask for anything else. It’s a really fun group of guys, we love each other, we’re all united. It’s a special group.”
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