In a bout between arguably the 2 greatest groups in baseball — right now, not by file — the NLDS between the Dodgers and Phillies got here to an finish on an unlucky mishap. The Dodgers prevailed, and this does not taint their development one iota. Actually, the perfect groups are those who do not beat themselves. It was only a bummer to have such a well-played sport finish on an error that was additionally a foul resolution.
A brilliant-tense playoff sport remained 1-1 heading to the underside of the eleventh. The Dodgers ought to be credited, additionally, with the rally that loaded the bases with two outs. Andy Pages put the ball in play, which was one other plus. It was only a comebacker to pitcher Orion Kerkering, who knocked it down. That appeared to trigger him to hurry issues up in his head.
Kerkering might have — he ought to have — taken the simple out at first base, particularly with Hye-seong Kim from third base having such a head begin in breaking for residence earlier than the ball wasn’t fielded cleanly. As soon as it wasn’t fielded cleanly, there was no cause to even attempt the throw residence. It appeared Kerkering panicked in making the hurried resolution. Perhaps an excellent throw would’ve gotten the runner and compelled a twelfth inning, but it surely was the flawed play.
And Kerkering threw it far out of the attain of catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The Phillies’ season was over, similar to that. Nobody ought to really feel sorry for them as a group. That they had a lead in Recreation 1. They staged a late rally in Recreation 2 that got here up brief. That they had a 1-0 lead on this sport and walked residence the tying run within the seventh. That they had scoring alternatives in Recreation 4, too, although solely a small handful. They had been merely defeated by a group that performed higher than them. And it could be folly accountable Kerkering for the collection loss.
“I really feel for [Kerkering] as a result of he is placing all of it on his shoulders,” Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson mentioned. “However we win as a group and we lose as a group.”
The Dodgers seem like rounding into form on the proper time. Although they did not safe a bye and had been the third seed within the NL behind the top-seeded Brewers and these Phillies, the Dodgers had an argument heading into the playoffs that they had been the perfect group. They’re the defending champs. They solely gained 4 fewer video games than the Brewers, gained 15 of their final 20 and are armed with every kind of high-priced expertise.
The Phillies, after all, have been right here quite a bit. They had been within the 2022 World Sequence and one sport away in 2023. They gained 95 video games and had a bye final yr. They gained 96 and had a bye this yr. The have energy arms and energy bats.
The Brewers and Blue Jays, amongst groups nonetheless alive, even have arguments as the perfect groups in baseball and we’re additionally in the midst of a event to determine the World Sequence champion.
However, man, the Phillies and Dodgers each appeared too sturdy to be going through one another in a five-game collection as a substitute of a seven-game collection. And, hey, who is aware of? Perhaps if it had been a seven sport collection the Dodgers simply would’ve gained in 5 video games we might have lamented that the collection did not dwell as much as its billing.
Regardless, it was actually a disgrace we did not get to squeeze a fifth sport out of this one, particularly give the unlucky method during which it ended for the Phillies.
