LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had no intention of returning to Philadelphia. Not after they emerged from a hostile Citizens Bank Park one win away from the NL Championship Series, in control of their own destiny.
The Phillies made it a series by taking the first game at Dodger Stadium in emphatic fashion, but the Dodgers were confident that they still had the upper hand. Both rolled out similar playbooks in Thursday afternoon’s Game 4: two dominant starting pitchers followed by two flame-throwing closers and a slew of bullpen arms.
Going into the bottom of the 11th, it was all tied up at a run apiece. With two outs and the bases loaded, Andy Pages grounded a ball up the middle. The Phillies unsuccessfully went for the out at the plate, and the Dodgers scored the winning run on a fielding error by pitcher Orion Kerkering, walking off and into the NLCS with a 2-1 victory.
It was the first time an NL playoff series has been clinched on a walk-off error. The only other time it’s happened was in the 2016 ALDS between the Rangers and Blue Jays, when Josh Donaldson scored the winning run for Toronto on a throwing error by Rougned Odor on the back end of a potential double play.
It was the 11th walk-off in Dodgers postseason history, and the first since Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
The defending World Series champions have advanced to the NLCS for the second year in a row, and for the eighth time in the past 13 years. They await their opponent, as the Brewers also have a chance to punch their ticket by eliminating the Cubs on Thursday night.
It was a game of inches, thanks to an incredible pitchers’ duel from beginning to end.
Tyler Glasnow tossed six scoreless innings in his first postseason start as a Dodger, countering 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball from Cristopher Sánchez. The Phillies struck first by scoring a run on Emmet Sheehan in the top of the seventh, but a half-inning later, Jhoan Duran issued a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts to tie the game. Roki Sasaki tossed three perfect innings to help send the game to extras, and Alex Vesia held the line with a scoreless 11th.
But the Dodgers’ bats could not break through until the bottom of the 11th, with Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo on for his second inning of relief. Tommy Edman started the rally with a one-out base hit and, due to a shaky ankle, was replaced by pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim. Max Muncy singled up the middle to put runners on the corner with two outs. Kerkering entered in relief and walked Kiké Hernández to load the bases.
Pages hit a grounder to the mound that Kerkering bobbled. He tried for the out at home, but Kim scored, sending the Dodgers to a walk-off victory.
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