The Philadelphia Phillies won big on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 8, keeping their season alive with an 8-2 win in Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kyle Schwarber clubbed two home runs, the top of the Phillies’ lineup woke up from their slumber, Shohei Ohtani continued to slump and Los Angeles legend Clayton Kershaw suffered through another postseason meltdown as he began the final postseason run of his illustrious career.
Here are the winners and losers from Game 3.
Winner: Top of the Phillies’ Lineup
Phillies’ stars like Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper went under the microscope as they shrank away from the moment during the first two games of the series. They were ready to answer the call in Game 3, going a combined 7-for-13 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored.
Schwarber accounted for both home runs, tying the game 1-1 in the fourth inning with a titanic 455-foot blast and sparking a three run rally that chased Dodgers’ starter Yoshinubo Yamamoto from the game. Turner and Schwarber blew the game wide open against Clayton Kershaw in the eighth, with Turner singling in two runs and Schwarber bringing the house down with a 108.6 mile per hour missile to right that put Philadelphia ahead 8-1. If the Phillies are going to complete a comeback from the brink of elimination, they’ll need more of the same out of their big money stars.
Winner: Ranger Suárez
Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez entered in the third inning, piggybacking off starter Aaron Nola who got through the top of the Dodgers’ lineup the first turn through. Suárez went on to pitch five innings, needing just 72 pitches to do so, and allowed just one run, a solo home run to Tommy Edman.
He allowed four hits and a walk, but lumps will happen against the highest paid lineup in all of baseball. Suárez didn’t let the Dodgers capitalize on the chances they had, limiting them to a 2-for-5 clip with runners on base: both hits went for singles and no runs came of either, while he also forced a double play to end the sixth inning.
Keeping his pitch count (relatively) low could mean he’s available for a potential Game 5 should the Phillies manage to come all the way back.
Loser: Clayton Kershaw
Making his first appearance of this postseason during the final weeks of his majestic career, Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw endured yet another playoff meltdown. The future first ballot Hall of Famer allowed four earned runs in two innings, putting his ERA this postseason at a hideous 18.00.
Kershaw allowed two home runs, hanging a slider to J.T. Realmuto and a 90 mile per hour fastball to Kyle Schwarber, both of whom were more than happy to capitalize on the mistakes. The damage wasn’t all Kershaw’s fault, as a Max Muncy error wiped away at least one out, but the Dodgers’ defense also did the veteran left-hander a solid when Enrique Hernández threw out Bryce Harper at home.
Los Angeles still has a 2-1 series lead, but poor Clayton Kershaw seems unable to help himself once October begins.
Loser: Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 in Game 3, dropping his postseason slash line to .174/.240/.435 with 1o strikeouts in 25 plate appearances. While the Dodgers’ lineup is loaded with talent from top to bottom — it might not be fair to say they need more from their $700 million superstar — they certainly expect more out of Ohtani, and they haven’t received it against the Phillies.
Ohtani went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position, flying out to end the eighth with runners at the corners, and failed to generate any momentum from the leadoff spot. Before the Phillies blew the game open with a five run eighth, a big play or two could’ve changed the outlook of the game.
