MLB Playoff Roundup: Phillies and Padres take 2-1 edges in NL matchups

Rain pushed back Game 2 of the Yankees’ ALDS matchup to yesterday, and when they finally took the field, things did not go great. After taking a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Guardians held the Yankees’ bats in check after that, eventually winning a 4-2 game in 10 innings.

While the Yankees weren’t originally supposed to play yesterday, the two NLDS matchups were, both entering crucial game 3s. Both series over in the NL went into Friday tied at one, with the lower seeds, the Phillies and Padres. picking up crucial road wins ahead of getting some home games. Let’s check in on where those series in the Senior Circuit stand after yesterday’s action.

NLDS Game 3

Philadelphia Phillies 9, Atlanta Braves 1

(PHI leads series 2-1)

The Phillies broke out with a six-run third inning and never looked back as they picked up a win in their first home playoff game since 2011.

The Braves’ Spencer Strider was given the ball for Atlanta, making his first start since September 18th. He started well, retiring the first six hitters he faced, but then the bottom of the Phillies’ lineup got to him, with Bryson Stott opening the scoring with an RBI double. Two batters later, Rhys Hoskins stepped to the plate with two on, and unleashed a mighty home run and an even mightier bat spike.

A single from J.T. Realmuto ended Strider’s day after just 2.1 innings, but it didn’t end the Phillies’ scoring in the third. Bryce Harper soon followed with a home run of his own, capping of a six-run frame.

Meanwhile, the Braves’ offense couldn’t get much of a response going against Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola. They didn’t score a run off him until the sixth inning, and even that required some help with an error on Hoskins. In total, Nola went six frames, allowing one unearned run on five walks and two walks, while striking out six.

The Phillies tacked a couple more runs on in the seventh inning, and their bullpen finished off the last couple innings to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

NLDS Game 3

San Diego Padres 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

(SD leads 2-1)

An impressive pitching display from the Padres got them an edge in the series and put the 111-win Dodgers on the verge of elimination.

Blake Snell got the start for the Padres in Game 3, and he was pretty solid, going 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks. However, San Diego’s bullpen was the big star, combining to allow just one baserunner over the last 4.2 innings, and hold on to their precarious one-run lead.

The Padres had gotten their lead in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a Jake Cronenworth RBI single off Tony Gonsolin. While the Padres’ offense didn’t exactly put in a dominant performance themselves, they did do an impressive job again Gonsolin, knocking him out after just 1.1 innings and 42 pitches.

Trent Grisham was responsible for San Diego’s other run, continuing his unexpected October with a solo homer in the fourth.

The Dodgers eventually got on the board in the fifth with a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly. However, they didn’t take advantage of any of the other runners they put on against Snell. Then after that, they hardly got any chances against Nick Martinez, Luis García, Robert Suárez, and Josh Hader, who shut the door and put LA on the brink of elimination.