Sweepus Interruptus: Dodgers 5, Phillies 4

The Phillies came so close to sweeping the mighty Dodgers in four games. So very, very close. Instead they had to settle for winning three out of four against the best team in baseball, losing game four 5-4.

They did everything they could. Nick Williams hit a third inning home run against Kenta Maeda, who left the game after that inning. I like to imagine he was just so devastated that he gave up the home run that he couldn’t continue. In reality, he was really struggling, throwing 61 pitches in three innings. Dave Roberts taking him out was merciful.

Mark Leiter Jr. continues to be a non-shitty back-of-the-rotation-if-there’s-an-emergency starter. The Phillies have needed a guy like him for awhile now, a guy who can start and pitch in long relief. He’s not perfect, but he’ll do. And he did just fine today, going six innings and giving up three runs on six hits. You couldn’t ask for more from a guy like Leiter.

In the bottom of the fifth, the score was tied 2-2. And then Rhys Hoskins stepped to the plate. And while he still hasn’t hit a home run in a large handful of games now (since September 14), he’s still doing great things. He hit a two-run double and put the Phillies in front 4-2.

It wouldn’t last. Curtis Granderson hit a solo homer in the sixth, and things really fell apart in the top of the seventh. Ricardo Pinto was on the mound and it did not go well. Andre Ethier hit a solo home run to lead-off the inning, and that tied the game. A triple from the next batter meant that a groundout would score the go-ahead run, and that’s what happened.

It was honestly a pretty uneventful game. The win would have been sweet, but the loss was fine. The Phillies have already taken so much from the Dodgers this week. Let them have this, right?