Phillies Blow 6-Run Lead , Manage To Hold Off Dodgers 9-7.
The Phillies blew a 6 run lead to the Dodgers on Thursday night, but fought back, scoring two runs in the top of the 9th inning to beat the best team in baseball 9-7.
Wow! What an incredible game…and all while most of Philadelphia was sound asleep.
After the Sixers lost in pathetic fashion Thursday night to the Miami Heat, I don’t think I could have made it through another day had the Phillies blown this game against the best team in baseball.
The Phillies carried a four run lead into the bottom of the 8th inning, handing the ball over to Jose Alvarado. It was clear from the jump that the husky left hander didn’t have his best stuff, yet Joe Girardi left him out there to get hammered. 10 Dodgers would eventually come to the plate before Andrew Bellatti was able to get out of the inning. But not before the Phils surrendered what at one point had been a six run lead.
Jose Alvarado 0.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Alvarado gets a lot of grief even though his numbers show he is an above average relief pitcher. I have never seen a guy with so much talent struggle so badly, so often. If the Phillies hadn’t come back and won this game in the 9th inning, Joe Girardi would rightfully be taking a ton of shit for how he handled that inning. He has to pull him sooner!
At that point, after the Phillies had blown the lead, I felt like had lost all hope. But the Fightin’s were not prepared to go down that easy..
Somehow the Phillies managed to manufacture two runs in the 9th inning without hitting a home run. Both Odubel Herrera and Rhys Hoskins reached base on infield singles and Herrera later was able to score the winning run when Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson threw a wild pitch past Will Smith with the bases loaded.
Corey Knebel notched his 7th save of the season, but boy did he earn it, after loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th inning he found a way to wiggle out of trouble.
Knebel settled down and got the trio of Austin Barnes, Cody Bellinger, and Chris Taylor all to pop up ending the game in what can only be described as a great win for the Phils. For my money that was the game of the year so far for this team.
It was the most runs the Phillies had scored at Dodgers stadium since May 2013.
Phillies (15-17) Beat Dodgers (20-9)
- Winning Pitcher: Andrew Bellatti (1-0, 2.08)
- Losing Pitcher: Daniel Hudson (1-3, 3.38)
- Save: Corey Knebel (7)
Before the game Joe Girardi confirmed that Bryce Harper has a torn UCL and wont be able to throw for four weeks. But Bryce Harper can still swing the bat and he didn’t waste any time taking Tyler Anderson yard for a solo shot in the 1st inning.
1-0 Phils
Kyle Schwarber shoots one the other way to score Jean Segura in the 2nd inning.
2-0 Phils
Johan Camargo drills a two run shot deep to left field off Tyler Anderson in a very productive 2nd inning.
4-0 Phils
Cody Bellinger gets the Dodgers on the board with the his fifth home run of the season.
Cody Bellinger is an impressive 5/12 lifetime against Wheeler with 5 HR.
4-1 Phils
An amazing heads-up play by Jean Segura who tagged up on a sleeping Gavin Lux. Im not sure what Lux was thinking here? But he tried to throw the ball with his hips parallel to the plate.
5-1 Phils
Bryce Harper loops an RBI single the other way scoring Alec Bohm, who had just reached third on a triple.
6-1 Phils
Will Smith brings the Dodgers closer in the sixth inning with 2 RBI double.
7-3 Phils
Will Smith brings in a run with the bases loaded. I hate Jose Alvarado so much!
7-4 Phils
Joe Girardi decides not to come get Alvarado and Justin Turner immediately makes him pay, with a 2 RBI double cutting the lead to one run.
7-6 Phils
Mookie Betts ties the game with an RBI single to left field.
DO SOMETHING JOE!
7-7 Phils
Andrew Bellatti finally gets out of the 8th inning by getting Freddie Freeman to pop up to Alec Bohm at third base.
Daniel Hudson throws a wild pitch to Bryce Harper with the bases loaded to put the Phillies back on top!
8-7 Phils
Bryce Harper knocks in Rhys Hoskins with a sac-fly, giving the Phillies a much needed insurance run.
9-7 Phils
Corey Knebel escapes a wild 9th inning in which the bases were loaded with no outs.
Phils Win 9-7
Up Next
The Phillies will take on the Dodgers in the second game of a four game series in Los Angeles.
Kyle Gibson (3-1, 2.94) will toe the rubber facing off against Clayton Kershaw (4-0, 1.80) with the first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm.
NBC Sports will carry the broadcast of the game.
Mandatory Image Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
