The Dodgers bullpen once again suffered an implosion after a stellar start from their starting pitcher, but after the offense rallied to tie the game, the bullpen couldn’t hang on as the Phillies stun the Dodgers 9-6.
Shohei Ohtani made his first start in 11 days, and began his night working around a two-out walk to Bryce Harper to secure a scoreless first inning. Ohtani began the game on offense with an infield single, but southpaw Cristopher Sánchez stranded his counterpart at first base.
The Dodgers
were the first team to break the scoreless ice on Tuesday, as Alex Call took Sánchez deep for just his second home run in a Dodger uniform and his first in front of the home crowd. After Andy Pages singled to right field for his fourth hit of the series, Kiké Hernández launched a two-run home run of his own, his first home run since returning from injury and his first since June 29 against the Kansas City Royals.
Hernández followed his home run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to give them a four run lead against Sánchez.
After allowing a walk in the first inning, Ohtani continued the trend of dominant starts from the Dodgers rotation, as he went on to set down 13 hitters in a row while striking out five total through five no-hit innings on just 68 pitches. Ohtani has now tossed 8 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts, as he lowers his ERA to 3.29 through 41 complete innings on the season.
Justin Wrobleski took over in the top of the sixth for the Dodgers, and kept the no-hitter alive for one hitter before Rafael Marchán lined a single to right-center field to spoil the combined no-hit bid. Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber each singled to load the bases with only one out, and Bryce Harper lined a hustle two-run double to put the Phillies on the board and cut the lead in half. With the tying run on second base, Brandon Marsh stepped up representing the potential go-ahead run hitting just .183 and a home run against left-handed pitching on the year. Marsh turned on an 0-2 slider on the outside part of the plate and drilled it over the right field wall to give the Phillies the lead.
Edgardo Henríquez quickly took over for Wrobleski after the Marsh home run, but he helped pad the lead for the Phillies as Max Kepler took him to deep to make it a six run sixth inning. The Phillies bat around against the Dodger bullpen, but Ben Rortvedt caught Weston Wilson trying to take second base to bring a merciful end to the Phillies rally.
Both Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda bounced back with scoreless innings after allowing a combined four runs to the Phillies on Monday.
Shohei Ohtani brought the Dodgers to within a run as he clobbered his 50th home run of the season against David Robertson. Ohtani is the first Dodger to ever have multiple 50 home run seasons and is the first player with 50 home runs in two consecutive seasons since Alex Rodriguez with the Texas Rangers in 2001 and 2002. Ohtani also becomes the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and strike out 50 hitters in the same season.
After Teoscar Hernández doubled to put the potential tying run on second base, left-hander Tanner Banks came in to face Freddie Freeman, with the first baseman walking to put the potential go-ahead run on base. Tommy Edman singled to left field to load the bases, and Call made it a brand new game with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at six.
Blake Treinen took over in the ninth inning and needed just five pitches to record two quick outs. Treinen’s command began to slip after allowing a double to Weston Wilson, as he decided to intentionally walk Bryson Stott after falling behind 3-0. It was once again the nine hitter in the Phillies lineup that made the loudest noise, as Marchán crushed a home run that landed off the very top of the short porch in right field, bouncing into the seats.
Jhoan Durán held on to the lead this time, and sent the Dodgers to their fifth consecutive loss at home against the Phillies dating back to last season. Fortunately for the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres fell to the New York Mets 8-3 as their division lead remains at two games.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Alex Call (5), Kiké Hernández (9), Shohei Ohtani (50); Brandon Marsh (11), Max Kepler (17), Rafael Marchán (2)
- WP— Tanner Banks (6-2): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
- LP— Blake Treinen (1-6): 1 IP, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
- SV— Jhoan Durán (31): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up next
The Dodgers wrap things up against the Phillies on Wednesday (7:10 p.m. PT) as they look to avoid being swept before they host the San Francisco Giants for their final home series of the regular season beginning Thursday. Blake Snell starts the finale for the Dodgers against left-hander Jesús Luzardo.
