PHOENIX — The Philadelphia Phillies spent the whole winter thinking about just how close they were to a World Series title last October before falling just short.
They spent the entire summer knowing there’s only one destination that would ever be acceptable in October.
“We’ve got to get to the World Series," Phillies owner John Middleton said Friday afternoon.
Well, they may be spending this winter wondering what in the world just went wrong, with veteran closer Craig Kimbrel melting down at the worst possible time.
Kimbrel blew the game – and perhaps the Phillies’ season – Friday night with the Arizona Diamondbacks pulling off a stunning 6-5 victory, and tying the National League Championship Series at two games apiece.
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The Phillies were cruising with a 5-3 lead, just six outs away from taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series when Kimbrel entered the game.
He gave up a leadoff double to Lourdes Gurriel, retired Evan Longoria on a long fly ball to left field, and on a full count, watched in horror as pinch-hitter Alek Thomas hit a two-run home run, tying the game as the sellout crowd of 47,306 went berserk.
Four batters later, Gabriel Moreno lined a single into center field, providing the D-backs with a dramatic comeback victory.
The Phillies still have Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez lined up the next three games, but the D-backs counter with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt.
If this series was supposed to be a cakewalk, someone forget to tell the Diamondbacks.
Even with their power-hitting trio of Corbin Carroll (1-15), Christian Walker (1-12) and Tommy Pham (1-13) have gone 3-40 (.075), they still have managed to tie this series.
The Phillies' powerful offense scored just one run in 12 innings at Chase Field until Kyle Schwarber’s 409-foot leadoff homer in the fourth inning, the 19th of his postseason career, the most by a left-handed hitter in history.
With game tied 2-2, the D-backs’ bullpen unraveled in the sixth inning when left-handed rookie reliever Andrew Saalfrank walked the bases loaded without an out. He was instantly removed with Ryan Thompson becoming their sixth pitcher of the game, leaving the D-backs without a lefty for the rest of the game.
The Phillies wasted no time capitalizing.
Third baseman Alec Bohm hit a chopper to third baseman Emmanuel Rivera that took him wide of the bag. He threw off-balance home, but the ball got away from catcher Gabriel Moreno, and by the time he retrieved it, two runs scored for a 4-2 lead.
The Phillies added another run in the seventh with Johan Rojas’ leadoff triple and Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly, but just when it looked like it would be a blowout, it was the Phillies’ bullpen that collapsed.
In the words of D-backs manager Torey Lovullo: “The narrative has changed."
Oh, has it ever.
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Here's how Game 4 unfolded (by USA TODAY Sports staff):
With a two-run lead, Phillies pitcher Craig Kimbrel melted down in the eighth inning.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. lead off with a double and Alek Thomas hit a two-run homer in the pool at Chase Field to tie the game 5-5. Kimbrel gave up a single to Ketel Marte and hit Corbin Carroll, getting the hook in favor of Jose Alvarado with two on and two outs.
Alvarado fell behind 3-0 on Gabriel Moreno and on the fifth pitch, Arizona's young catcher lined an RBI single to give the D-backs the lead.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with two outs – a single and two walks – and Christian Walker drew another free pass to bring Geraldo Pedromo to score, cutting the Phillies' lead to 5-3.
With the bases still loaded, Orion Kerkerin got Pavin Smith to ground out to first as Arizona stranded three runners.
Johan Rojas tripled with one out in the top of the seventh and Trea Turner followed up with a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in a run to extend the Phillies' lead to 5-2 against Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Alec Bohm's ground ball was fielded by Arizona third baseman Emannuel Rivera whose off-balance throw to the plate wasn't handled by catcher Gabriel Moreno. The ball got away allowing a second run to score – while Bohm got thrown out trying to advance to second. Rivera was charged with a throwing error on the play in the top of the sixth.
With runners on second and third and one out, Ryan Thompson struck out J.T. Realmuto and got Nick Castellanos to ground out to limit the damage.
Philadelphia's Brandon Marsh delivered a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game 2-2 against Arizona lefty Andrew Saalfrank.
It was catcher J.T. Realmuto, who had singled earlier in the frame, that came around to score the Phillies' second run.
Kyle Schwarber's solo homer off Kyle Nelson in the top of the fourth was 19th career postseason home run, breaking a tie with Reggie Jackson for most by a left-handed hitter.
Nelson was pulled after Schwarber's leadoff homer, with Miguel Castro coming in to get the last three outs of the fourth.
Gabriel Moreno's RBI single against Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman brought Ketel Marte around to score in the bottom of the third, extending Arizona's lead to 2-0.
Hoffman replaced starter Cristopher Sánchez, allowing the inherited runner to score against the first batter he faced.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. wowed the fans at Chase Field with a sterling defensive play in the top of the second inning. The Diamondbacks left field robbed Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto of extra bases with a leaping catch up against the wall, near the 374 sign.
In the bottom of the frame, Arizona got the leadoff man on when Christian Walker reached on a throwing error by third baseman Alec Bohm before Tommy Pham struck out and Gurriel grounded into a fielder's choice, with Walker going to second. Following a passed ball by Realmuto and walk to Evan Longoria, Emmanuel Rivera singled to center field to plate Walker to give the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Trea Turner had been riding an impressive stolen base streak, but the Phillies shortstop was finally cut down after 40 consecutive stolen bases, dating back to last season.
Turner, batting second in the top of the first inning, singled to right following a Kyle Schwarber strikeout. But with star Bryce Harper at the plate, Turner took off on Arizona starter Joe Mantiply's first move and was picked off with Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo tagging him out at second. Harper then grounded out to second baseman Ketel Marte to end the top of the first.
Turner had been succesful on 34 of 34 stolen base attempts this season, including the playoffs.
Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday is scheduled to begin at 8:07 p.m. ET, airing on TBS.
Philadelphia Phillies
Cristopher Sánchez will make his 2023 playoff debut when he starts Game 4 for the Phillies on Thursday. The LHP started 18 games for Philadelphia this season, going 3-5 with a 3.44 ERA and 96 strikeouts. Sánchez last started Sept. 24 against the New York Mets, earning the win after allowing three hits and two runs, while striking out 10 in seven innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Joe Mantiply will start what is likely to be a bullpen game for the Diamondbacks. The LHP gave up three runs in less than an inning of relief in Philadelphia’s Game 2 win, but he was spotless in the NLDS and NL wild card series, allowing no hits in 2 ⅔ innings. Mantiply appeared in 35 regular-season games, starting just three, and went 2-2 with a 4.63 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 39 innings.
For the second consecutive game, the roof at Chase Field in Phoenix will be closed. With temperatures around 102 degrees for the first pitch, scheduled for shortly after 5 p.m. local time, Game 4 of the NLCS will once again take place in an enclosed environment.
With the roof closed in 2023, Chase Field tied for the third-fewest runs allowed (out of MLB’s eight enclosed ballparks), according to Statcast, behind Seattle's T-Mobile Park and Toronto's Rogers Centre. And only T-Mobile Park was less homer-friendly with a closed roof, with the Mariners' stadium yielding 68 home runs to the Chase Field's 78.
PHOENIX – When Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo removed Game starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt in the sixth inning of Game 3, the 47,075 fans at Chase Field let him have it.
The D-backs’ 25-year-old rookie was pitching the greatest game of his career Thursday and had given up just two hits, striking out nine, while throwing just 70 pitches in 5⅔ shutout innings. Pfaadt joined Don Newcombe of the 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers as the only rookies to strike out at least nine batters without a walk in postseason history.
Still, Lovullo walked to the mound, and was serenaded by loud boos, with fans showing their disgust at the decision.
“I'm sure I was the most unpopular guy in the city of Phoenix, in the downtown area, and maybe in the entire state of Arizona, right? I was booing myself as I walked out to the mound," Lovullo said. “I didn’t need to be in the stands. …
“I want everybody to know, that is trying to think along with me, that we have a strategy. I have a strategy for everything that's done. Everything that's done has been well talked about. It's not just analytics. I know how quickly playoff baseball can change.
“So, yes, I am prepared to get booed. I am prepared to get second-guessed. It's my job."
The decision to remove him was mostly scripted, with Lovullo saying before the game that he was counting on Pfaadt to face about 18 batters, which was exactly number Pfaadt saw. Yet, Lovullo brushed back at the notion it was simply a matter of analytics or that a decision was made without discussing it with pitching coach Brent Strom and his staff.
“I’m asking them if the manager is an idiot after taking his out after five and two-thirds [innings]. I know it's a very unpopular decision, but we have great information."
— Bob Nightengale
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