The Dodgers will get a second chance Thursday to wrap up their National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium, but will have to face the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff.
Cristopher Sánchez will try force the series into a decisive fifth game Saturday in Philadelphia. The left-hander's .722 winning percentage on a 13-5 record was tied for the third best in the National League. The Phillies were 23-9 in his starts.
Sánchez had a no decision in Game 1 of the series Saturday. Sánchez was relieved by 40-year-old David Robertson with two outs in the sixth inning, immediately following Kiké Hernandez's two-run double that cut Philadelphia's lead to 3-2.
Robertson retired Max Muncy, the first batter he faced in the sixth, on a ground out to end the inning. Robertson allowed a single to Andy Pages and hit Will Smith with a pitch to begin the seventh inning, prompting manager Rob Thomson to replace him with Max Strahm.
Strahm retired the first two batters he faced, then allowed Teoscar Hernandez's game-winning three-run home run.
Tyler Glasnow will make his first postseason start in his two seasons with the Dodgers. The right-hander was on the injured list with right should tendinitis during last year's postseason.
Glasnow's only postseason appearance this year was pitching 1 2/3 shutout innings in Game 1 Saturday.
Manny Mota, who had a two-out, pinch-hit RBI double during the Dodgers' comeback 6-5 victory over Philadelphia in Game 1 of the 1977 National League Championship Series will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
The 3:08 p.m. game will be televised on TBS, streamed on HBO Max, broadcast in English by KLAC-AM (570) and in Spanish by KTNQ-AM (1020).
The Dodgers had their lead in the best-of-five series cut to two games to one with an 8-2 loss Wednesday with Kyle Schwarber hitting two home runs.
The Phillies combined Schwarber's mammoth home run, back-to-back singles by Bryce Harper and Alex Bohm, a throwing error by Dodger center fielder Andy Pages and Brandon Marsh's sacrifice fly for three runs in the fourth.
Schwarber broke out of an 0-for-22 slump dating back to the regular season by hitting a 2-0 four-seam fastball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto 455 feet to the roof of the right field pavilion leading off the inning.
Harper followed with a single to left after going 1-for-7 with two walks to start the series. Bohm, the next batter, singled. Pages' throw to third went into the Dodger dugout, allowing Harper to score and Bohm to go third.
Marsh, who played for the Angels from 2021-22, hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Bohm.
Ranger Suárez (1-0), the second of five Philadelphia pitchers, was credited with victory, limiting the Dodgers to one run and five hits over five innings, striking out four and walking one, as the Phillies cut the deficit in the series to two games to one.
Yamamoto (1-1) was charged with the loss, allowing three runs and six hits in four innings in front of a crowd announced at 53,689.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the third when Tommy Edman hit the first pitch from Suárez, who relieved starter Aaron Nola, 393 feet over the fence in left center field.
Edman singled in Kiké Hernandez with two outs in the ninth for the Dodgers' other run.
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In what could be his final pitching appearance at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw made his first postseason relief appearance since 2019, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd, including from Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax.
Kershaw pitched a shutout seventh inning, but allowed five runs in the eighth.
J.T. Realmuto hit Kershaw's second pitch of the inning 407 feet over the center field fence.
Max Kepler walked and Nick Castellanos reached on a fielding error by Dodger third baseman Max Muncy. They advanced to second and third on Bryson Scott's sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Trea Turner, who played for the Dodgers in 2021 and 2022.
Schwarber followed with a home run, increasing the Phillies' lead to 8-1.
"He just didn't have a great slider tonight," Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. "I think Clayton pitches off his slider. And then the fastball command, he was working behind, too. Just the command wasn't there tonight."
Dodger designed hitter Shohei Ohtani was 0-for-5 Wednesday and is 1- for-14 for the series.
"His decision-making hasn't been good," manager Dave Roberts said. "You can see, it's balls in/off, and he's really not giving himself a chance to hit a mistake. I just think that he's in between a little bit, but the swing decisions are just not where they need to be right now."
Reliever Tanner Scott was not at Dodger Stadium Wednesday.
"There was something going on personal," Roberts said. "It will come out later."
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