The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the Championship Series after beating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS. Tyler Glasnow’s stellar start kept Los Angeles in striking distance as the game turned into a pitchers’ duel. Glasnow threw six scoreless innings and Cristopher Sanchez matched him frame for frame.
Despite the strong effort, manager Dave Roberts pulled Glasnow after the sixth inning. Emmet Sheehan took over in the seventh and promptly allowed the first run of the game. Fans ripped Roberts’ decision as Glasnow had thrown just 83 pitches.
After the game the Dodgers manager explained why he went to the bullpen. Roberts said Glasnow was experiencing cramps in the fifth and sixth innings, per the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. It’s an issue the All-Star pitcher has dealt with in the past.
Dodgers win NLDS after strong start from Tyler Glasnow
Nick Castellanos’ RBI double put the Phillies up 1-0. But the lead was short-lived. Sanchez ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh and Rob Thomson brought in his closer. Jhoan Duran inherited runners at first and second. Two walks later and the score was tied, 1-1. It was the first bases loaded walk of Duran’s career.
Once the starters were removed, Game 4 turned into a battle of the bullpens. Roki Sasaki was brilliant in three scoreless innings. The Dodgers’ rookie righty was making his third appearance in the series and he kept the Phillies off the scoreboard.
The game went to extra innings and Jesus Luzardo worked a clean 10th, sitting down Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez. But in the bottom of the 11th inning Luzardo ran into trouble and Thomson brought in Orion Kerkering.
The third-year pro entered with runners on the corners and quickly walked the bases loaded. Kerkering then committed a brutal error on Andy Pages’ broken-bat comebacker. After failing to field the ball cleanly, Kerkering threw home instead of going to first base. The wild throw allowed Hyeseong Kim to score the series-clinching run.
Dodgers fans worried Roberts’ decision to pull Glasnow would end in a repeat of the Clayton Kershaw debacle from Game 3. But the Phillies bailed Los Angeles out with a very costly, season-ending error.
The Dodgers now head to their second-straight NLCS. The team will face the winner of the Detroit Tigers/Seattle Mariners series, which goes to a decisive Game 5 on Friday.
