Phillies clinch season-series vs Dodgers, take game two in LA, 6-2 final

The Phillies needed a bounce-back win last night in Los Angeles and got one, beating the Dodgers by a final score of 6-2. 

The win means that the Phillies have now won 2-of-3 games – which is the only stat we’re going to use moving forward. Time to change the vibe and with a win today, the team will secure their first series victory since they swept the at The Bank way back on July 9-11. 

Last night’s win definitely held some weight in the overall National League standings. 

The Phillies entered last night with just a half-game lead over the Dodgers in the National League. That has now returned to a much more comfortable 1.5 game lead.

It also gave the Phillies a regular season series win against Los Angeles, which could mean something heading into the postseason. 

The winner of the National League will get home field advantage through the NLCS. If the Phillies and Dodgers finished the regular season with the same record, that means they would be in need of a tiebreaker for home field advantage. 

The Phillies now own that tiebreaker. 

Cristopher Sanchez and the ‘Pen:

Sanchez was dominant on the mound last night. He tossed 6 innings of work, allowing five hits and just one earned run. He struck out two and walked one. 

In relief, Matt Strahm threw a scoreless frame with a strikeout. Jeff Hoffman allowed a home run to Teoscar Hernández that temporarily made the game just a two-run deficit for the Dodgers until Carlos Estévez shut the door in the ninth. 

At The Plate:

At the plate, Kyle Schwarber got the Phillies on the board in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to centerfield. Nick Castellanos continued the next inning, hitting an RBI single to center that scored Alec Bohm.

From there, Edmundo Sosa took over and put up three more runs for the Phillies. Sosa singled to right into extend the Phillies’ lead to 4-0 in the sixth.

He then hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth, only for Kyle Schwarber to add some “back-to-back” insurance with a solo shot of his own. 

Back…#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/w2medYsnoe

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 7, 2024

…to back#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/yOogiMr56s

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 7, 2024

Any type of production from the bench is fantastic these days. Sosa delivered last night out of the ninth spot in the order. He went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Wild what can happen when someone is batting at the bottom of the order and can turn the lineup over, right? 

2+ Hits at the Plate: 

• Kyle Schwarber: 2-5, 2 RBI 
• Bryce Harper: 2-5
• Alec Bohm: 3-5
• Nick Castellanos: 2-5, RBI 
• Austin Hays: 2-4, R

Braves Can’t Keep Pace:

No doubt the Phillies have been struggling but like I continue to remind everyone, the outrage and panic hasn’t been warranted. The Atlanta Braves are losers of three straight games and remain 6.5 games back of The Fightins in the NL East Standings.

Major League Implications:

While we’re at it, the Phillies are tied with the Yankees in second place for the best record in Major League Baseball. New York and Philly both trail the Cleveland Guardians by 0.5 games for MLB Supremacy.

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