Absolute and complete shock.
What did we just witness? What did our collective eyes just behold? Two outs, bases loaded, tie game, season on the line – and Orion Kerkering did what?
I truly do not believe
what I just witnessed.
Cristopher Sanchez was magnificent. He crushed the Dodgers lineup for 6 innings. Tyler Glasnow was just as magnificent. He was equally as good for six innings of his own. The Phillies had a chance to get to him in the first inning, getting a double from Kyle Schwarber and a walk from Alec Bohm to put runners on the corners with two outs, but a feeble at bat by Brandon Marsh ended that threat.
And then, through the next five innings, both Sanchez and Glasnow were outstanding. Brilliant. Pick your adjective! They allowed nothing in that time frame, Sanchez aided by some stellar defense behind him, Glasnow getting out after out after out from a lineup that meekly was beaten.
Then in the seventh, things started to pick up. J.T. Realmuto led off with a single, but was erased when Max Kepler grounded into what we thought would be a double play. Emmett Sheehan, covering first, was unable to catch the return throw from Mookie Betts and Kepler was awarded second base. Nick Castellanos came up and ripped a ball down the line for a double that gave the Phillies a lead.
Sadly, they were not able to tack on another, which loomed large.
In the bottom half of the seventh, Sanchez retired the first batter in Will Smith and was thought to have Alex Call called out on strikes, but umpire Mark Wegner said no.
That no call on pitch 5 changed the game.
Call walked, Enrique Hernandez singled and Sanchez was done in favor of Jhoan Duran. Duran got Andy Pages to ground out for the second out, but an intentional walk to Shohei Ohtani loaded the bases for Mookie Betts. Betts, being the professional hitter he is, would not chase fastballs out of the zone and was walked, tying the game at one. Duran got Teoscar Hernandez to strike out to end the frame and begin a long slog to extra innings.
The relievers that came in for both teams – Matt Strahm, Jesus Luzardo, Roki Sasaki and Alex Vesia – were outstanding, keeping both lineups in check. The Phillies were unable to get anything going offensively until the 11th inning when Bryce Harper walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Harrison Bader, pinch hitting for the punchless Brandon Marsh, battled in his at bat, but went down chasing a changeup from Vesia and sent the game to the bottom of the 11th.
In that inning, Luzardo began his second inning of work with a strikeout of Freddie Freeman before a single by Tommy Edman tightened bowels around the park. Smith lined out yet again before Luzardo allowed a single to Max Muncy to put runners on the corners. With Enrique up again, Thomson summoned Kerkering from the bullpen with two outs. Kerkering walked Hernandez to set up a bases loaded, two outs, season on the line at bat against the super struggling Pages.
And….
I just don’t know what to say, so I’m ending this recap here.
