Phillies enough, Dodgers whew!

The Phillies, after taking two of three from the Mariners, looked to be in a tough spot going in to this four game series against the NL’s best LA Dodgers. Sitting at 20-9, compared to the Phils 14-17, and with Philadelphia’s seemingly in-grained extra difficulty with winning on the road, the Dodgers looked to be a very tough nut to crack.

With Zach Wheeler fresh off the COVID list, it wasn’t certain how long he could go; and facing LA’s whoever (they’re the best team in baseball).

But then Kevin Stocker tied his shoe, and Bryce Harper hit a solo homer in the first inning to give the Phils a lead.

The Phillies really didn’t waste any time either, with a Johan Camargo 2-run homer in the second, and individual runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth, taking a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

The Dodgers did get a couple back, and then tallied hoe with a four-run rally in the bottom of the eighth off the Phils’ lackluster bullpen to tie it at 7-7. Shades of the other day’s historic disaster against the Mets. But that day was not this day.

In the top of the ninth, Odubel Herrera singled. Rhys Hoskins singled. Alec Bohm walked. Dodgers’ pitcher Dan Hudson wild pitched. And Bryce Harper sac flied. Two runs, and the Phils were up 9-7.

That led to Goe Jirardi bringing in Corey Knebel for the bottom of the ninth. Every Phillies’ fan in the Deleware Valley, and Central Pennsylvania, and the rest of the United States, and Fairbanks Alaska, was certain they knew what was coming.

They were all wrong.

Knebel let Trea Turner single. He walked Max Muncy. He walked Will Smith, loading the bases with no outs. And we all knew what was coming. We knew because this has happened to us before. Doom.

Doom.

Doom.

But then Knebel got Austin Barnes to fly out. He got Cody Bellinger to fly out. And he got Chris Taylor to fly out, preserving the save.

What.

Phillies win?

The Phils won, on the road, against the best team in baseball. Savor this, because there’re not likely to be many of them.

The Phils send Kyle Gibson to the hill tomorrow against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw okay that’s just not fair but whatever we’ll move on. First pitch is at 6:10PM Alaska time, and if you’re not in that time zone, you have to do some math.

Have a good evening, folks!!

PS: Two dingers:

Two dingers.