Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers scored a thrilling 2-1 walk-off victory in extra innings to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies from the Major League Baseball playoffs on Thursday and stay on course for back-to-back World Series crowns. Cuban outfielder Andy Pages helped set up the bases-loaded winning run after Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering bungled what should have been an innings-ending play, sealing a 3-1 series victory for the Dodgers. The win sends the Dodgers into a best-of-seven National League Championship Series against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs, who were playing later. The NLCS winner advances to the World Series.
Kerkering’s agonizing error was the final twist in a gripping battle between two of the most expensively-assembled lineups in baseball. Yet despite the array of firepower on show, Thursday’s clash unfolded as a pitching duel of the highest caliber, with Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow, who threw six scoreless innings, going toe-to-toe with Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez. Glasnow finished with eight strikeouts and gave up only two hits through six innings, while Sanchez was similarly dominant, striking out five through 6 1/3 innings for one run.
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The Phillies were first to make a breakthrough after a mistake by Dodgers reliever Emmet Sheehan allowed the Phillies’ Max Kepler to move into scoring position in the seventh inning. The Phillies’ Nick Castellanos doubled to bring Kepler home for a precious 1-0 lead. Yet the Dodgers hit back immediately in the bottom of the inning when the Phillies opted to walk Shohei Ohtani to load the bases after bringing in closer Jhoan Duran. That risky gambit backfired when Mookie Betts drew a walk, allowing pinch runner Justin Dean to jog over home plate to make it 1-1.
As the tension ratcheted up, the Dodgers turned to Roki Sasaki to shut down the Phillies in the late innings, and the Japanese prodigy duly delivered, mowing down a succession of Phillies batters in the eighth, ninth, and 10th innings for no runs. Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia then came through a nervy top of the 11th to leave the Dodgers with another chance of walking it off. Tommy Edman and Max Muncy both singled to get on base, prompting Phillies manager Rob Thomson to remove reliever Jesus Luzardo for Kerkering with two outs and runners on first and third.
The Dodgers loaded the bases when Kerkering walked Enrique Hernandez to bring up Pages. The out-of-form Pages then broke his bat after connecting with a 96.2 mph sinker from Kerkering. His grounder trickled to Kerkering, but the Phillies reliever fumbled as he tried to gather, and his wild throw missed catcher JT Realmuto as pinch runner Kim Hye-seong crossed for the winning run.
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