PHOENIX — The Philadelphia Phillies, who looked like they were lost in the desert since their arrival to Phoenix, finally feel like those menacing bullies again.
They swatted 905 feet worth of home runs in a span of three innings.
They stole three bases, executed a double steal, and the franchise's first-ever steal of home in a postseason game.
And, yes, had their ace dominate once again, suffocating the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense.
The Phillies slammed the Diamondbacks 6-1, behind Zack Wheeler’s gem and homers by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, leaving town with a stranglehold on the National League Championship Series.
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The Phillies lead 3 games to 2, with the next two scheduled games at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia where they are undefeated this postseason and have the greatest home postseason winning percentage in history.
Yep, just like that, the Phillies’ swagger is back and they are just one victory away from a return trip to the World Series and a possible rematch against the defending champion Houston Astros.
The Phillies had plenty of heroes in this one, but there was no bigger star than Wheeler.
The Phillies, after bullpen meltdowns in back-to-back nights, desperately needed Wheeler to pitch like an ace.
And oh, how he did that.
Wheeler, after going six innings in the Phillies’ Game 1 start, pitched seven brilliant innings. He was spotted a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and never gave the D-backs a chance to recover. He gave up six hits and a walk while striking out eight, with the only blemish a solo homer by Alek Thomas in his 99-pitch performance.
“I think every time he walks to the mound in the first inning, his plan is to go nine,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, “so that's the old-school approach. He is not looking to come out after five innings or six. His plan is to go nine. So, yeah, I think he is old school that way."
Really, it wasn’t until the sixth inning that Wheeler could exhale with his teammates showing off their home-run prowess.
It began with Schwarber hitting a leadoff home run nearly to the Arizona State campus, traveling 461 feet until it landed deep into the right-center-field seats.
Seven pitches later, Harper wanted to make sure he wasn’t left behind, hitting a 444-foot shot into the right-field seats. Just like that, it was a 4-0 which became 6-1 when Realmuto hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning, breaking a streak of 16 consecutive solo home runs.
It was the fifth time the Phillies have hit at least three homers this postseason, tying a major-league record, with Schwarber now having more postseason home runs than any left-handed hitter in history, surpassing Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.
“You know, it's great company to be in,’’ Schwarber said. “For me I think all that stuff will be really cool when everything is going to be said and done, whenever I'm done playing baseball, and you are able to look back at all your accomplishments.’’
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The Diamondbacks pulled a run back on Alek Thomas' solo home run making it 4-1, but J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the eighth to make the score 6-1, giving the Phillies some more breathing room with six outs to get.
Kyle Schwarber led off the top of the sixth with a 461-foot bomb off Zac Gallen, increasing the Phillies lead to 3-0. His fifth solo home run of this NLCS, the blast was Schwarber's 20th career postseason homer, tying him with Derek Jeter for fourth in baseball history.
Two batters later, Bryce Harper followed with a solo home run of his own against Gallen, this one traveling 444 feet to right field to make it a 4-0 ballgame. The sixth-inning homer was Harper's fifth home run of the 2023 postseason.
Zac Gallen settled in after surrendering two runs in the first, holding the Phillies hitless through the next four frames. Arizona stranded four runners in the first four innings and Phillies starter Zack Wheeler had five strikeouts through four.
Bryson Stott delivered a two-out RBI single and then Bryce Harper swiped home in a double steal, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Zac Gallen.
Stott's hit was the Phillies' third of the inning after Kyle Schwarber dribbled one up the first base line and Harper singled to center. Gallen got J.T. Realmuto to ground out to end the frame, stranding Stott on second.
Saturday's game at Chase Field is scheduled to begin at 8:07 p.m. ET, airing on TBS.
Philadelphia Phillies
Starting pitcher: Zack Wheeler – 13-6, 3.61 ERA regular season; 2-0, 2.37 ERA in 19 postseason innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starting pitcher: Zac Gallen – 17-9, 3.47 ERA regular season; 2-1, 4.96 ERA in three postseason starts.
PHOENIX — Sure, the Phillies have their ace Zack Wheeler going in Game 5 against Gallen, but their bullpen is in utter disarray, having no idea who they can trust.
The man who has saved 417 career games, Craig Kimbrel, has melted down at the absolute worst time.
He lost Game 3 in the ninth inning, and for an encore, blew a 5-3 lead in the eighth inning.
He faced six batters Friday. Four reached base.
And he nearly caused the roof to blow off Chase Field when he gave up a stunning game-tying, two-run home run to rookie Alek Thomas on a 3-and-2 fastball that splashed down in the pool.
“I mean, that play is definitely something that you see in your dreams," Thomas said. “For it to come in real life and for it to happen to me is just awesome. I'm so grateful to have that moment. It's just unreal. Just crazy.
“I haven't really processed it yet, but it was awesome."
Four batters later, it was all over. Kimbrel left two batters on base when he was mercifully pulled, and Jose Alvarado couldn’t clean up his mess with Gabriel Moreno lining a single to center field for a 6-5 lead.
Who knows if the Phillies will now trust him again the rest of the postseason?
Certainly, not in a critical moment.
– Bob Nightengale
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