The Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks are the first two teams in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) National League Division Series (NLDS) to take a commanding lead in the best-of-five best-of-three series.
The Phillies earned a valuable one-game sweep on the road, defeating the Atlanta Braves 3-0 in Game 1 of the division series on Monday (Aug. 8) at Truiste Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
Philadelphia’s lineup was Kyle Schwarber (designated hitter), Trey Turner (shortstop), Bryce Harper (first base), Alex Bomb (third base), Bryson Stott (second base), J.T. Realmuto (catcher), Nick Castellanos (right field), Brandon Marsh (left field), and Yohan Rojas (center field). The starting pitcher was Ranger Suarez.
Atlanta, who started their “ace” Spencer Strider, went with Ronald Acuña Jr. (right field), Austin Riley (third base), Matt Olson (first base), Yoenis Albies (second base), Marcell Osuna (designated hitter), Michael Harris (center field), Orlando Arcia (shortstop), Jeon Murphy (catcher), and Kevin Pillar (left field).
Tied 0-0 with Atlanta through three innings, the Phillies took the lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Stott. In the top of the sixth, Harper’s solo shot cut the deficit to two runs.
In the top of the eighth, something unexpected happened. With the bases loaded, Realmuto’s swing grazed Murphy’s mitt, and the umpire called catcher’s interference. Atlanta immediately challenged the call, but it didn’t change the outcome. Angered by the outcome of the challenge, some Atlanta fans threw cans on the field, causing a brief stoppage of play.
After Suarez pitched 3⅔ innings, six relievers took the mound, including second starter Jeff Hoffman, and a scoreless relay held off a late Atlanta rally to preserve the lead. Meanwhile, Atlanta, which had the most wins in the entire league this year with 104 in the regular season, looked somewhat lethargic and dropped its first game.
Game 1 of the Division Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers was headlined by the matchup of two familiar faces, Merrill Kelly and Clayton Kershaw. The result was an 11-2 win for Arizona.
Arizona’s lineup was Ketel Marte (second base), Corbin Carroll (right field), Tommy Pham (designated hitter), Christian Walker (first base), Gabriel Moreno (catcher), Rueredes Gurriel Jr. (left field), Alex Thomas (center field), Evan Longoria (third base), and Heraldo Perdomo (shortstop).
The Dodgers came out with a lineup of Mookie Betts (second base)-Freddie Freeman (first base)-Will Smith (catcher)-Max Muncy (third base)-J.D. Martinez (designated hitter)-Jason Heyward (right field)-David Peralta (left field)-James Outman (center field)-Miguel Rojas (shortstop).
The game was already tilted in Arizona’s favor in the first inning. After a leadoff double by Marte, Carroll gave the Dodgers the lead with an RBI single, followed by a walk, a double by Walker and a three-run blast by Moreno. After giving up five runs against five batters, Kershaw and the Dodgers were in trouble.온라인바카라
According to ESPN, it was the first time in Major League Baseball postseason history that a starting pitcher gave up five runs on five hits before recording the first out. It was shocking for the team, the players, and the fans.
After scoring six runs in the top of the first inning to silence Dodger Stadium, Arizona added three more in the second, including a solo shot by Carroll. In the top of the seventh, Thomas, who fought a 14-pitch battle, completed the double-digit scoring with a superior solo shot, and in the top of the eighth, Pam capped off the big inning with a solo shot.
The Dodgers’ offense, unable to get past Kelly, broke the silence in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run triple by Smith, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. With a day of rest, the series continues on the 10th, and it remains to be seen if the Dodgers can make up for the disappointment of Game 1.