Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Phillies bats stymied in Game 3 loss to Arizona

Bryson Stott grounded into a key double play in the Phillies’ Game 3 loss over the Diamondbacks. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1

The Arizona Diamondbacks needed some clutch pitching and some big hits to get back into the series.

With the bases loaded and one out, Arizona’s hottest hitter, Ketel Marte, hit a walk-off single against Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 2-1 walk-off win over the Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

It was a bad inning for Kimbrel, who walked two batters and allowed a key steal against Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He had a chance to get out of the inning with runners on first and second and one out following a heads up play by Trea Turner to get Gurriel at home, but Kimbrel walked the No. 9 batter Geraldo Perdomo and allowed the hit to Marte to end it.

The Phillies still have a 2-1 series lead over Arizona, but just like in Game 2 of the NLDS, the Phillies had the chance to bury the opponent and did not capitalize.

A win tomorrow — or Saturday– and none of this means much.

The lineup struggled against young D-Backs starter Brandon Pfaadt. Pfaadt, who did not face the Phillies during the regular season, struck out a career-high nine batters through 5 2/3 innings.

The Phillies tried to pounce on mistakes. It’s a strategy that’s worked throughout this postseason, but Pfaadt was hitting his spots with the fastball and getting serious movement on his sweeper.

His worst pitch of the night, a middle-middle sweeper on a 2-2 pitch to Kyle Schwarber, was crushed but well foul. Outside of a Brandon Marsh double in the third, that was most threatening the Phillies were against Pfaadt.

Pfaadt was pulled after two trips through the order, which was expected heading into this game. Still, it was jarring to see Pfaadt come off the mound after a dominant outing. According to MLB.com’s Jason Catania, he’s only the third starter in postseason history to walk none, give up two hits or fewer and strike out nine in a scoreless outing.

But Ranger Suárez was just as brilliant. He struck out seven and allowed only three hits through 5 1/3 innings. As Ron Darling put it, Suárez threw offspeed pitches in fastball counts to fool D-Backs hitters. He worked all corners of the plate and induced soft contact all night.

Following Marte’s second double of the night, Suárez got a ground ball to second for the first out of the sixth. Rob Thomson pulled Suárez in favor of the certified garbage man Jeff Hoffman.

Facing a pocket of right handed batters in the middle of the D-Backs order, Hoffman got Gabriel Moreno to strike out on a wipeout slider and Christian Walker to ground out to short to strand Marte at third.

Suárez’s career postseason ERA is down to 0.95. This is the first postseason game the Phillies have lost when Suárez has pitched.

The Phillies got the first two runners on in the top of the seventh on a Bryce Harper walk and swinging bunt by Bohm. Facing ground ball specialist Ryan Thompson, Bryson Stott hit into a routine 6-3 double play to take the steam out of the Phillies’ rally.

They still had a chance with Harper at third and he ended up scoring on a wild pitch to J.T. Realmuto.

Rookie Orion Kerkering had the seventh and did not record an out. The D-Backs recorded three straight hits on Kerkering’s slider. A Gurriel double scored Alec Thomas at first, who was pinch running for Tommy Pham.

It was the first time Kerkering has allowed an earned run in his young major league career.

It was José Alvarado’s job to clean up the mess with runners on first and third with no outs and he did so without allowing any runs to score. The first batter Emmanuel Rivera hit a ground ball right to Turner. He looked over to third and threw to second for a rare double play with the infield in. Perdomo lined out softly to the mound for the final out on one pitch.

Alvarado came back out for eighth. He struck out Marte, got Corbin Carroll to line out to center field and allowed a double to Gabriel Moreno off the wall in center field. Rob Thomson elected to walk Walker and pitch to the weaker hitter Thomas, who grounded out to end the inning.

The Phillies will send Cristopher Sánchez to the mound for Game 4, according to Thomson.

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