Max Muncy blunder opens door to Phillies walk-off win over Dodgers
PHILADELPHIA — The play seemed to unfold almost in slow motion.
A bouncing grounder. A high hop. A booted ball by second baseman Max Muncy, rolling helplessly away from him on a bright, sunny — and suddenly dreadful — Philadelphia day.
A game the Dodgers should have won on Sunday against the Phillies instead came unraveled all at once, with Muncy’s fielding error leading to two runs and a walk-off 4-3 win for the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Clinging to a one-run lead with Phillies runners on second and third in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Dodgers were one out away from a win when Alec Bohm sent the softly-hit chopper Muncy’s way.
Dodgers lose on Max Muncy’s error in the 10th inning
The Dodgers seemingly had the game won.
Then, they didn’t.
After taking the lead in the top of the 10th on a Trea Turner RBI single, and getting to two outs in the bottom half of the inning, reliever Evan Phillips induced a soft ground ball to second that should have ended the game.
Max Muncy, however, booted the grounder. Phillies runners at second and third both came racing home to win the game.
The loss snaps the Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak, and drops them to 27-13 on the season.
Final: Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
Phillies tie it in the ninth, sending game to extra innings
Yency Almonte was one out away from his second career save.
But with the Phillies down to their last gasp, the Dodgers right-hander couldn’t put them away.
Nick Castellanos hit a double. The Dodgers intentionally walked left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber (a decision Roberts ran to the mound to communicate to Almonte personally).
The hope was Almonte could retire Jean Segura in a righty-righty matchup.
Instead, Segura lined the first pitch he saw into left for a game-tying RBI single.
Almonte limited the damage there, striking out JT Realmuto to send the game to extra innings. The Dodgers are 0-2 in extra-inning games this year.
End 9th: Tied 2-2
Dodgers escape eight-inning jam with third double-play of day
Alex Vesia pitched a clean seventh inning against the heart of the Phillies order.
But then Justin Bruihl made a mess in the eighth.
The reliever hit one batter, walked another and was replaced with runners on the corners and one out in a tie game.
The Dodgers escaped the jam, however. Yency Almonte came in to face Ryhs Hoskins and induced an inning-ending double-play, with the Dodgers infield converting the final out just in time to beat Hoskins’ head-first slide into first base.
It was the Dodgers third double-play of the day.
End 8th: Dodgers lead 2-1
Tony Gonsolin completes impressive six-inning, one-run start
Tony Gonsolin finally made a mistake, hanging a two-strike splitter that Garrett Stubbs belted for a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning.
But then, in his final action of the day, Gonsolin responded with three straight strikeouts to end the inning and keep the Dodgers one-run lead intact.
His final line: Six innings, one run, three hits, one walk, seven strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches, and kept his season ERA at 1.62.
It’s also the first time in his career Gonsolin has made consecutive starts of at least six innings.
End 6th: Dodgers lead 2-1
Edwin Ríos homers, Tony Gonsolin rolling
Edwin Ríos continues hitting home runs at a incredible pace, belting his fifth of the season in the fourth inning in what was only his 45th plate appearance.
Just as important for the Dodgers, however, has been the strong start to Tony Gonsolin’s day.
Through five scoreless innings, the right-hander has given up just two hit (both of which were immediately erased by double-plays) and one walk (which was stranded in the third).
End 5th: Dodgers lead 2-0
Dodgers score first on Mookie Betts’ 10th home run of season
Mookie Betts’ tear at the plate continued in the third inning Sunday.
After Phillies starter Zach Eflin had struck out seven of the first nine batters — and six in a row — to begin his day, he threw a first-pitch sinker on the outside edge to Betts.
The Dodgers’ streaking right fielder drove it deep the other way.
The solo home run was Betts’ 10th of the season, most on the team and one behind the National League lead. It was also his 11th extra-base hit in the past 10 games.
Asked last night what’s been behind his recent power surge, Betts simply pointed to his overall feel at the plate.
“I guess it’s just the process — enjoying the process instead of trying to hunt for results,” Betts said. “I think once I changed my mind to enjoy the process and working each and every day, just let the game be the game, it’s coming out pretty good. I just have to continue to do the same thing and have fun playing the game.”
Tony Gonsolin, meanwhile, is through three scoreless innings on 44 pitches.
End 3rd: Dodgers lead 1-0
Dodgers hoping for length out of Tony Gonsolin as they go for series sweep
A day after using eight relievers — everyone in the bullpen except for Evan Phillips and Yency Almonte — in a bullpen game on Saturday night, the Dodgers need one thing in particular out of Tony Gonsolin on Sunday.
Length.
“We’re going to need that efficiency today,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’d be really helpful if Tony can go deep.”
Gonsolin did that in his last starting, pitching six strong innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That was a continuation of his impressive start to the season, too, as Gonsolin enters Sunday with a 4-0 record and rotation-best 1.64 ERA.
The Dodgers made two changes to their lineup as they go for a series sweep and their seventh-straight win Sunday. Edwin Ríos will bat cleanup, slotting in as the designated hitter. Austin Barnes is behind the plate.
Here’s the Dodgers full lineup:
How to watch and stream the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season:
Mookie Betts puts on a show, survives a scare as streaking Dodgers beat Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — There was a solo home run to left and two-run double to center. A rally-extending walk and game-saving outfield assist.
Even when Mookie Betts tumbled on Saturday night — literally crashing into the dirt while rounding second base in the fifth inning — the Dodgers rejoiced, breathing a sigh of relief after their star right fielder stayed in the game despite initially clutching his left arm in pain.
“That was scary,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The rest of Betts’ performance was anything but.
On a night the former MVP could do almost no wrong, the Dodgers overcame an early three-run deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4, securing their seventh-straight win in front of 32,068 at Citizens Bank Park.