Phillies’ big eighth inning broke Game 3 open — and kept Jhoan Duran fresh for Game 4
The Phillies were prepared to use their closer for a six-out save, but a five-run eighth inning kept him in the bullpen, and ready to potentially close out a series-tying win on Thursday.
LOS ANGELES — Jhoan Duran stood behind the mound, watching Orion Kerkering start to loosen.
The Phillies’ closer had already gotten warm in the bullpen, tucked away in the right field corner of Dodger Stadium, before the seventh inning concluded on Wednesday night. While Ranger Suárez was busy retiring Shohei Ohtani to protect the Phillies’ slim 3-1 lead over Los Angeles, Duran was firing fastballs to prepare to face Mookie Betts.
» READ MORE: Hayes: Rob Thomson’s genius saves his job and the Phillies’ season with brilliant strategy in a Game 3 must-win
But then, J.T. Realmuto sent a blast into the left field seats for a crucial insurance run, so the Phillies called for Kerkering to start moving around, too. And after Trea Turner drove in two more runs with an RBI single and Kyle Schwarber hit his second homer of the night, Duran’s services were no longer required.
Before the offensive outburst, the Phillies had intended for Duran to enter in the eighth with Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Freddie Freeman looming. And they hoped he would be able to come back out for the ninth as well for a six-out save.
“That’s what we were going to do,” said manager Rob Thomson.
The Phillies have not asked Duran to do an “up-down,” or pitching more than one inning, since acquiring him in July. But he has done it in the past with the Twins, including in the playoffs. Duran threw a scoreless eighth and ninth in Game 4 of the 2023 American League Championship Series, though Minnesota ultimately lost to the Astros.
Duran, who has not allowed a run in two appearances this series, has expressed a willingness to pitch two innings if necessary.
“I’d say 100% because I’m working for the end of the season, so I’m ready to throw one inning, two inning, whatever,” he said. “ … If it’s to help the team for winning, [I’ll pitch] every day.”
The drawback to that, however, would be Duran’s readiness to pitch in Game 4. While the Phillies needed to win Game 3 by any means necessary to extend their season, asking their closer for six outs would limit him on Thursday. Thomson said Duran would have been able to pitch “one, if any” innings the day after an up-down.
» READ MORE: Schwarbombs to the rescue: Kyle Schwarber breaks through with two homers to help Phillies force Game 4
Thomson’s rather unorthodox plan of using Aaron Nola as an opener and bringing in Suárez to follow him was done to cover as many innings as possible until Duran could come in the game. But as it turned out, the scheme worked even better than hoped, after the bats suddenly woke up.
“Would have loved to get Duran in the game tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
But Roberts stuck with Clayton Kershaw for the eighth, even though he had barely escaped with a scoreless seventh. And the Phillies made him pay, pounding the future Hall of Famer for five runs on five hits, an error, and a walk.
“You don’t ever want to give the other team any sort of hope,” Turner said. “Sometimes you’ve got to keep guys fresh and I get all that. But you don’t want to give any window or use arms that you don’t need to use and give the other team looks, because you face a guy three, four times in a series. I think that’s a big advantage.
“I think that was important to kind of keep [Duran] out of there and tack on runs and break it open and kind of put that one away.”
On the other hand, the Dodgers deployed four relievers — lefties Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, and Kershaw, and righty Blake Treinen — after Yoshinobu Yamamoto was chased from the game without securing an out in the fifth. Tanner Scott, the only Dodgers pitcher the Phillies have not seen this series, was unavailable due to a personal matter, according to Roberts.
Dodgers win the series 3-1
Game 1: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3 | Hayes | Murphy
Game 2: Dodgers 4, Phillies 3 | Hayes | Murphy
Game 3: Phillies, 8, Dodgers 2 | Hayes | Murphy
Game 4: Dodgers 2, Phillies 1 (11) | Hayes
Kerkering turned in a clean eighth with three straight groundouts. And while Taijuan Walker gave up a run in the ninth and lefty Tanner Banks needed to come in to face Ohtani for the final out, the offense’s big lead made that inconsequential.
Because the Phillies were able to keep their 6-foot-5 weapon in its sheath, sharp as ever for Game 4.