The Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> have punched their ticket to the NLCS with a gritty Game Four win against the Philadelphia Phillies<\/a>. The game was an extra-innings thriller, with both heavyweight lineups struggling to drive in runs. Dominant pitching from both sides kept the score low deep into the game. The decisive run came in heartbreaking fashion for the Phillies, as an errant throw home from reliever Orion Kerkering<\/a> allowed Hyeseong Kim<\/a> to score, sealing their fate.<\/p>\n Both Tyler Glasnow<\/a> and Cristopher Sanchez<\/a> had amazing outings for their teams. Each pitcher navigated through the heart of the opposing lineup, avoiding costly mistakes and keeping the game scoreless through six innings. Neither offense found much rhythm to put anything together early.<\/p>\n Glasnow left the game with 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Sanchez countered with a strong performance of his own, working 6 1\/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.<\/p>\n The Phillies struck first in the seventh after Emmet Sheehan<\/a> replaced Glasnow. J.T. Realmuto<\/a> started the inning with a single, and Max Kepler<\/a> hit into a would-be double play, but Sheehan could not field the throw covering first, putting Kepler on second. Nick Castellanos<\/a> took immediate advantage of this mistake with an RBI double to drive in Kepler and put the Phillies on the board.<\/p>\n The Dodgers responded fast in the next half-inning. An Alex Call<\/a> single and subsequent walk of Kik\u00e9 Hernandez<\/a> led Phillies manager Rob Thomson<\/a> to make a pitching change. Reliever Jhoan Duran<\/a> took the mound in place of Sanchez. Dave Roberts made his own chess move by pinch-running Justin Dean<\/a> for Call.<\/p>\n Andy Pages<\/a> grounded out to first, advancing both runners in the process. This brought up Shohei Ohtani<\/a> with two runners in scoring position. Though he has been struggling this series, the Phillies took no chances and intentionally walked him, preferring to face Mookie Betts<\/a> with a force at any base.<\/p>\n Betts, showing great patience at the plate, worked a walk, and the tying run came in. However, Duran was able to avoid further damage, striking out Teoscar Hernandez<\/a> to end the threat with the bases loaded.<\/p>\n Both relief units continued the trend of dominant pitching after the seventh, setting up a tense extra-innings finish. Duran, Matt Strahm<\/a>, and Jesus Luzardo<\/a> took care of business on the Phillies’ side, and Roki Sasaki<\/a> threw three perfect innings of relief for the Dodgers.<\/p>\n In the 11th inning, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the NLCS. Tommy Edman hit a one-out single, and Kim came in to pinch-run. Max Muncy then came through with a two-out single, which brought the game-winning run 90 feet away from home. Thomson decided to make it a righty-righty matchup with Kik\u00e9 at bat, replacing Luzardo with Kerkering.<\/p>\n After walking Hernandez, the game was now in Andy Page’s hands. Pages was 1-for-14 in the series, and the Dodgers desperately needed him to get a knock to end this series. He hit a shallow comebacker that Kerkering had trouble fielding. Instead of opting to throw to first, he threw home and overthrew Realmuto, sending the ball and the Phillies’ championship aspirations sailing.<\/p>\nDodgers-Phillies Game Summary<\/h2>\n
Starters Trade Zeroes through Six<\/h3>\n
Seventh-Inning Ends Scoreless Standoff<\/h3>\n
Extra-Inning Showdown<\/h3>\n
What Went Wrong for the Dodgers<\/h2>\n
Offensive Struggles<\/h3>\n