Welcome to Phillies Town, Twinkie Town’s Philadelphia Phillies playoff coverage because I like watching Jhoan Duran play baseball and don’t handle change well. Let’s go Phillies!
After saving all their runs for late in game two, it appears our beloved Phillies were really saving all their runs for late in the series. With their backs against the wall, Philadelphia finally got some production from the top of the lineup as they kept the series alive.
With ace Zach Wheeler out for the season, Aaron Nola
took the mound despite some unsightly numbers this season. Nola struggled with injuries throughout 2025, but has historically been the most steady starter in the sport. Things got out to a rough start in the first, though. After Shohei Ohtani hit into a 103 MPH out, Mookie Betts tripled to threaten to score immediately. Luckily, Nola sandwiched a Freddie Freeman HBP between two strikeouts to get out of the first unscathed.
After getting through the first eight hitters, manager Rob Thomson turned to lefty Ranger Suarez out of the ‘pen for a surprise piggyback playoff start. While it was a good idea in theory, the first batter Suarez had to face was utility man Tommy Edman, who exclusively hits left-handed pitchers and immediately hit a solo shot to let LA score first. For his career, Edman has an .809 OPS against lefties compared to just .683 against righties. While I understand the impulse to bring Suarez in to start the inning since he’s not a reliever, the smarter move would have been leaving Nola to face Edman before bringing in the lefty for Ohtani, but I digress.
Suarez was stellar the rest of the way, not giving up another run while scattering four other hits through five innings. Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are set up to start games four and five, but Suarez made a great case to be Philadelphia’s third starter should they advance to the NLCS.
Facing one of the NL’s best in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it looked like it was going to be another long night for a formerly high-powered lineup. Luckily, the Phillies’ All-Stars remembered they were good in the fourth inning. Kyle Schwarber led off with monster 455-foot home run to knot the game at one apiece. Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm followed with singles and were gifted a throwing error by LA centerfielder Andy Pages allowing Harper to score and Bohm to reach third with only one out. Bohm eventually came in on a sac fly to put the Phillies up 3-1 and they never looked back.
There was still plenty of choking involved though, don’t worry. After the first two batters of the fifth singled and executed a beautiful double steal, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs, Yamamoto was lifted for reliever Anthony Banda who got Schwarber, Harper, and Brandon Marsh all out to end the threat without allowing the run, keeping the Dodgers in striking distance.
The game remained close until the eighth when the Phillies finally pulled away. Facing first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and notorious postseason choker Clayton Kershaw, Philadelphia rallied for five runs in the frame. The scoring got started with a leadoff dong from catcher JT Realmuto. The Dodgers then gifted the Phillies two runners with a walk and an error, letting nine-whole hitter bunt the runners over for the top of the lineup. NL batting champ Trea Turner came up clutch with a two-run, bloop single and set the stage for Kyle Schwarber, who hit his second home run of the night to give the Phillies an 8-1 lead.
The Dodgers added a meaningless run in the ninth, but the Phillies kept the series alive and have their best pitchers rested and available for Game 4 tonight.
FORMER TWINS WATCH
- Max Kepler: 0-3, 2 BB, 1 R
- Harrison Bader: DNP (injured)
- Jhoan Duran: DNP (blowout)
STUDS
- Kyle Schwarber: 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB
- Trea Turner: 3-5, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
- Bryce Harper: 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
- Alec Bohm: 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB
- JT Realmuto: 2-5, 1 HR
DUDS
- No duds, Phillies win!!
It’s Cristopher Sanchez vs Tyler Glasnow as the Phillies fight for their lives once again. Should be a fun game!
