LOS ANGELES — Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia needed four pitches to strike out Edmundo Sosa, and none of them were in the zone.
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With the bases loaded and the Phillies trailing by one run in the sixth inning, interim manager Don Mattingly opted to pinch hit for Brandon Marsh despite Sosa entering the game with a .207 average.
When Sosa chased three changeups well outside the strike zone, the decision looked like a critical error.
But in the eighth inning, Sosa got redemption. He pounced on a fastball from Tanner Scott for a two-run home run, putting the Phillies in front for the4-3 comeback win over the Dodgers.
The Phillies’ only run against Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki came courtesy of a solo home run from Alec Bohm in the second inning. But the Dodgers punched right back, sandwiching two singles around a walk from Jesús Luzardo to tie the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the frame.
Los Angeles pulled in front in the fourth inning. Alex Call doubled to right-center and Adolis García bobbled the ball, allowing him to advance to third and score on a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat.
Sasaki touched 100 mph with his fastball twice, and racked up seven strikeouts while limiting the Phillies to three hits.
Two of those were back-to-back singles from Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner in the sixth inning, and Sasaki was then lifted for Vesia. He walked Bryce Harper to load the bases, but Sosa struck out and Bohm grounded out to end the threat.
Orion Kerkering pitched the seventh, marking his first time on the Dodger Stadium mound since his season-ending error in last year’s National League Division Series. He struck out Shohei Ohtani, but then gave up a double on an 0-2 count to Andy Pages, who had hit the comebacker to him in the NLDS.
Pages then scored on a single from Mookie Betts to right field that gave the Dodgers an insurance run. It was a close play at the plate thanks to a strong throw from García, and after Mattingly challenged, the safe call was upheld.
But the Phillies responded in the eighth. Justin Crawford and Harper strung together singles in the eighth to score a run, bringing up Sosa.
Brad Keller pitched a scoreless eighth and closer Jhoan Duran threw a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 12th save.
The Phillies are desperate for right-handed hitting. Mike Trout bats right-handed. But Trout also has full no-trade rights and has never asked the Angels to move him. Joe Maddon, Trout’s manager for three years, joins “Phillies Extra” to answer the most important question: Why? And will this be the year that Trout asks out? Maddon also shares his thoughts on the Phillies’ managerial change, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and more. Watch here.
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