Phillies bullpen shines in crucial NLCS game 3 victory
Seranthony Dominguez was electric, picking up the rare, six-out save for the Phillies, who beat the Padres 4-2 in a crucial NLCS Game 3.
Phillies Beat Padres; LEAD NLCS 2-1
- Winning Pitcher: Ranger Suárez (1-0, 2.16)
- Losing Pitcher: Joe Musgrove (1-1, 2.89)
- Save: Seranthony Dominguez (1, 0.00)
Despite a number of mind numbing defensive miscues, the Phillies still managed to pull out this ball game tonight. Primarily because they have the most explosive 1-2 punch out of the bullpen in all of baseball. It hadn’t been that way for any period of time this regular season, but since the 2022 Postseason began, José Alvarado and Seranthony Dominguez have been the last thing most opposing teams see before losing a game.
Seranthony should get all the credit in the world for his effort tonight. He was electric and took the ball in the 9th knowing very well he had already thrown 18 pitches at full velocity while working through the heart of the Padres order the inning before.
Despite giving up a lead-off single to Josh Bell, Dominguez retained his composure, looking like he had closed out 100 games over a long career full of postseason success. After Seranthony struck out Jurickson Profar on a controversial check swing that was called a strike for the first out in the 9th. Profar was ejected by the home plate umpire for his outburst following the call and the Padres were never really able to find their footing. Dominguez quickly got Trent Grisham to pop up and struck out Austin Nola swinging to give the Phils victory.
The entire bullpen was clutch in game 3, as Zach Eflin helped out with a scoreless 6th inning in relief of Ranger Suarez. Those couple of innings before Rob Thompson can get to the dominant back end of the bullpen have been an issue for the Phillies in the playoffs and it was nice to not see Andrew Bellatti or Connor Brogdon walking to the mound.
Sometimes I feel the same way those bullpen pitchers as I do about Rhys Hoskins running out to play first base. Unfortunately, we are stuck with him and his league worst defense at the corner. Hoskins misplayed yet another ball at first base in the 4th inning which put a runner at second base who would later score for the Padres second run of the game.
Hoskins made his error just one frame before Jean Segura committed his own defensive blunder in the 4th inning. Segura was unable to handle an easy pitch from Bryson Stott, failing to look it into his glove and breaking up a potential inning ending double that also resulted in a Padres run.
The Phillies are getting sloppy with their glove work on what seems like an every night basis at this point. Mark my words, it’s just a matter of time before it comes back to bite them in the ass. They are not good enough to boot the ball around the infield twice in a game and a team better than the Padres would have handed them a fat L tonight.
Luckily, the San Diego Padres are just a standard run of the mill above-average Major League Baseball team and the Phillies are likely going to take a commanding lead with a win tomorrow night in Game 4.
Who will be pitching for the Phillies? Right now your guess is as good as mine, but I would say we see some combination of Bailey Falter and Noah Syndergaard in the first half of the ball game. Call me crazy, but I would also be ok with take a shot with Kyle Gibson for a few innings as well.
Six more wins to go before we raise the banner! Say it with me….’This is a team of destiny, we are an unstoppable freight train of positive momentum”.
RING IT.
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with a victory in Game 4 of the NLCS at Citizens Bank Park with the first pitch scheduled for 7:45 PM EST.
FOX Sports will carry the broadcast of the game.
Neither team has released their starting rotation and it has been rumored that both teams may treat it like a ‘bullpen game’, which makes no sense.
TBD (0-0, 0.00) will take the mound facing off against TBD (0-0, 0.00)
Ranger Suarez gets Juan Soto swinging for the 2nd out of the Padres opening frame.
Kyle Schwarber leads off the game with a monster home run to right field off Joe Musgrove. BOOM!
1-0 Phils
Brandon Marsh makes a great a running catch in deep center field off the bat of Will Myers for the second out of the 2nd inning.
Bryson Stott rips a double past a diving Juan Soto in the 2nd inning.
Jean Segura makes a nice diving play to rob Trent Grisham of a single and make the first out in the 3rd inning.
Jean Segura cant handle the toss from Bryson Stott at second base allowing a run to score and failing to record an out. That’s terrible!
1-1 Phils
Bryson Stott ends a nice at bat with a 2-out double off Joe Musgrove to keep his team alive in the 4th inning.
Jean Segura makes up for his earlier error by ripping a 2-RBI double off Jose Musgrove in the 4th inning to give the Phils their second lead of the night.
3-1 Phils
Jean gets picked off at first base immediately after ripping a 2-RBI double. Wake up Jean!
Rhys Hoskins cant handle a hop at first base allowing the ball to roll into the outfield and Grisham to reach scoring position. The Phils are really kicking it around over the last few inning.
Zach Eflin works his way out of a bases-loaded jam with a huge double play off the bat of Josh Bell to end the 6th inning.
Nick Castellanos rips a 2-out out double to left field in the 6th inning.
Alec Bohm knocks in Nick Castellanos with a huge two out RBI double in the 6th inning. Thats all she wrote for Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove.
4-2 Phils
Jean Segura makes an outstanding defensive play at second base to rob Kim of a single and end the 7th inning.
Seranthony Dominguez gets Manny Machado swinging for the first out in a scoreless 8th inning.
In what is sure to be a controversial call, Jurickson Profar gets called out on a check swing by the third baes umpire for the second out of the 9th inning. Thats a really close call and I have to say I don’t think he went..
Seranthony Dominguez gets Aaron Nola swinging for the final out of the 9th inning to give the Phillies a commanding 2-1 series lead in the NLCS!
PHILS WIN 4-2!!
Mandatory Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
