2 Thursdays … 2 blown 7-1 leads … 2 different outcomes
Final Score: Phillies 9, Dodgers 7
The Philadelphia Phillies came out swinging early in Thursday’s ballgame, but for a second straight Thursday, that lead evaporated. After last week’s historic comeback by the Mets — who plated seven runs in the top of the ninth — tonight’s blown lead happened in two parts, with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and four more to tie it in the eighth.
Thursday evening’s collapse was a more drawn-out version of last week’s events, but at its core, was caused by the same issue: leaving a pitcher whose stuff simply wasn’t effective on a given night in the game for too long.
However, the Phillies showed resilience and resolve that they could not find against the Mets to take the first game of this four-game series at Dodger Stadium. Their bats were hot to start the night, and when they needed them most, they had enough gas left in the tank to put runs on the board in the ninth inning after the Dodgers came roaring back.
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After news of a small tear in Bryce Harper’s right elbow came out in the hours before tonight’s game, it was natural to wonder if this would eventually affect Harper’s hitting. That may eventually be the case, but Harper silenced those fears early with a solo homer in the first to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead:
Jean Segura led off the second inning with a double. Segura stole third and scored on a Kyle Schwarber RBI single. The next Phillie to hit was Johan Camargo, and he doubled the Phillies lead with a two-run home run that put them up 4-0:
A Cody Bellinger solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third inning made it a 4-1 ballgame, and Chris Taylor doubled on the eighth pitch of his at-bat to get into scoring position with no outs. But Zack Wheeler got a strikeout and two groundouts to strand Taylor at second.
Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto singled to put runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth inning. Segura advanced to third on a flyout. Camargo then popped up to Gavin Lux in shallow right-center field, but for the second time this week, Segura was aggressive on the basepaths, and he was able to score to make it 5-1:
Alec Bohm tripled for the first time as a big leaguer with one out in the fifth, and Harper doubled down the left field line for his second extra-base hit of the night, plating a sixth run:
Realmuto showed off his speed with a triple to lead off the sixth inning, and he ended up scoring on a Schwarber sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the sixth, Wheeler ran into some trouble with the heart of the Dodgers’ order. After a Trea Turner single and a walk to Max Muncy, catcher Will Smith doubled down the third-base line to score two and make it 7-3. Joe Girardi called for Brad Hand out of the bullpen, and he got the final two outs and stranded Smith at second base.
Seranthony Domínguez pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but things went downhill quickly when José Alvarado entered the game in the eighth.
Freddie Freeman singled to lead off the inning, Trea Turner walked on four pitches, and Max Muncy reached on a swinging bunt to load the bases with nobody out. Will Smith singled to make it 7-4, and Justin Turner, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter, snuck a double inside the third-base line to make it 7-6. While Bellinger struck out for the first out, Chris Taylor singled to tie the ballgame.
At this point, Andrew Bellatti entered in relief of Alvarado. Hanser Alberto laid down a bunt, and Hoskins flipped the ball to Realmuto to nail Austin Barnes at the plate:
Bellatti walked Mookie Betts to load the bases, but he was able to get Freeman, batting for the second time in the inning, to pop out to Bohm to end the inning with the game tied at seven.
Unlike last week, when the Phillies offense went down with a whimper after blowing the lead, they responded in the top of the ninth inning Thurday.
After a Camargo groundout to start the inning, Odúbel Herrera reached safely on a bunt. Hoskins then hit a grounder that deflected off of Daniel Hudson’s glove and was safe at first, and Bohm walked to load the bases.
On a 1-2 count, Hudson spiked a breaking ball into the ground and by Smith to bring home Herrera and give the Phillies the lead:
One pitch later, Harper hit a ball deep enough to right field to allow Hoskins to tag up and score a ninth run.
Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for the Phillies. He allowed a leadoff single to Trea Turner, walked Max Muncy on four pitches and walked Will Smith on a 3-2 count to load the bases with nobody out. Knebel dug deep, and after flyouts by Barnes and Bellinger that kept the runners from advancing, Taylor flew out to Herrera to end a manic ballgame.
The Phillies are now 15-17. Tomorrow, Kyle Gibson is slated to face future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA to start the season.
Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance
Zack Wheeler: 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 90 pitches
After retiring the first six batters he faced in order, Wheeler found himself in stressful situations in the third and fourth innings, but he was able to pitch out of those situations and hold the Dodgers’ potent offense to one run before the Dodgers got the best of him in the sixth inning and tacked on two more.
Wheeler was not as dominant as he had been in his previous two outings, but he was making his first start in eight days after a stint on the COVID-related IL, and the Dodgers lineup is one of the deeper lineups a pitcher will face over the course of a season.
Tyler Anderson: 6 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 88 pitches
The Phillies jumped out to an early lead, and aside from a 1-2-3 third inning, they constantly put Anderson under pressure. Of the 10 hits Anderson allowed, six were extra-base hits, including two home runs, and two of the other four singles ended up coming around to score.
Anderson had allowed seven earned runs in his first five starts combined, so this was by far his worst outing of the season. His ERA jumped from 2.78 to 4.40 during Thursday evening’s start.
Phillies Nugget Of The Game
Per the Phillies broadcast, the last time they blew a 6+ run lead and ended up winning the ballgame was Sept. 7, 2020 at Citi Field against the New York Mets.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, May 13 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
- 10:10 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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