At Citizens Bank Park, even a pause for breath can trigger a roar, and Ohtani felt it early. The Phillies jumped him for three runs in the second, capped by J.T. Realmuto’s two-run triple that sent the sellout crowd of 45,777 into a frenzy.
But from there, Ohtani settled in. He retired 10 straight batters and stacked four scoreless innings to keep the Dodgers in striking distance, finishing with nine strikeouts over six frames.
Meanwhile, Cristopher Sánchez held his own opposite Ohtani. The left-hander breezed through the early innings and didn't face any real trouble until the sixth, when he surrendered a pair of two-out runs, allowing the Dodgers to trim the deficit to one.
Then came Teoscar Hernández.
Hernández entered Citizens Bank Park on Saturday riding a hot streak, having homered twice and driven in six runs against Cincinnati during the Wild Card Series. His barrage continued on Saturday — and it bit the Phillies at the worst possible time.
After coming in to collect the final out of the sixth, David Robertson surrendered a leadoff single and hit a batter to open the seventh. Matt Strahm took over and struck out Shohei Ohtani before getting Mookie Betts to pop out to third. But with two outs, Hernández struck again, turning on a 92-mph fastball and sending it into the seats in right-center. The swing deflated the once-raucous crowd and flipped the game, giving the Dodgers a 5–3 lead.
"Off the bat, I didn't think it was going be a homer," Strahm said. "I thought maybe Kepler or Bader would have a play at the wall, especially how the both of them reacted, but then it just kept carrying."
Los Angeles held on from there, securing a 5–3 win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Adding to the setback, the Phillies lost center fielder Harrison Bader in the seventh after he exited with left groin tightness. Nick Castellanos entered as a pinch-hitter and remained in the game in right field, with Brandon Marsh shifting to center.
Bader said he will have imaging done on Sunday, though he's optimistic he'll be available to play on Monday.
Bader’s exit added to a rough stretch for Philadelphia, which also saw its bullpen pushed into uncomfortable territory. It’s also important to note that Robertson hadn’t finished an inning and started another this season, though it’s something he’s done plenty of times over his 17-year career. Even so, that’s sometimes an issue for a reliever.
Sánchez finished his night after 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out eight. Ohtani regrouped, retiring 10 straight batters and hurling four scoreless frames to keep the Phillies’ offense in check. He finished with 89 pitches, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out nine.
Bader said he will have imaging done on Sunday, though he's optimistic he'll be available to play on Monday.
For Robertson?
"No, I've done that for years," Robertson said. "I had plenty of time to warm up tonight. I just didn't make enough good pitches."
Manager Rob Thomson stood behind his decision to bring Robertson out to open the seventh.
"I wanted to make sure we had a lefty on Ohtani," Thomson said. "So anybody else, if you bring another righty in, he's got to face Ohtani. So that's really what it came down to."
Sánchez finished his night after 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out eight. Ohtani regrouped, retiring 10 straight batters and hurling four scoreless frames to keep the Phillies’ offense in check. He finished with 89 pitches, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out nine.
The Phillies threatened in the eighth, putting the tying run on second and loading the bases, but left-hander Alex Vesia got pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa to fly out to center, ending the threat.
Rookie Roki Sasaki secured the save.
Aside from the three-run second, the Phillies offense sputtered. The top four spots of the lineup finished 1-for-13 on the night while the club left six runners on base and were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
"I thought we missed some pitches over the plate and chased a little bit," said Bryce Harper. "I think missing on some of those pitches we should have done damage on hurt us. It's frustrating not getting those guys in. We have to be better and turn the page."
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