From Jack Harris: The Phillies seemed rattled. The Dodgers looked confident. And the Chavez Ravine crowd was excitedly smelling blood.
Early in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday, the Dodgers had all the momentum. They’d already taken each of the first two games of this best-of-five set in Philadelphia. Their best pitcher this season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, had started his night with three scoreless innings. The Phillies, most of all, appeared to be pressing, with Trea Turner leading the game off with a curious bunt and Brandon Marsh misplaying a ball in the bottom of the first with an over-aggressive dive that gifted Mookie Betts a triple.
Then, after a questionable pitching change from Phillies manager Rob Thomson in the bottom of the third, Tommy Edman greeted newly inserted left-hander Ranger Suárez with a leadoff home run to open the scoring.
As Edman rounded the bases, and Dodger Stadium erupted around him, the Dodgers looked well on their way to an NL Championship Series berth.
In postseason baseball, however, momentum can be a fickle thing. Every new inning brings the potential for a plot twist. Every at-bat carries the threat of a turning point. And every single pitch can prove to be the difference.
“You never know in the playoffs,” Kiké Hernández said before the game, “which pitch is going to win you a game.”
On Wednesday, in the Phillies’ come-from-behind, elimination-staving 8-2 victory, the pitch that swung the Dodgers’ loss came with no outs in the fourth.
Plaschke: Dodgers blow surefire win in NLDS Game 3 vs. Phillies, and now they could blow the season
‘You get a new game every day.’ Clayton Kershaw tries to put Game 3 debacle behind him
Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts talk losing NLDS Game 3
Dodgers are crushed in NLDS Game 3 as bats disappear | Dodgers Debate
Shaikin: Dodgers hope a very-rested Tyler Glasnow can pitch them into the NLCS
Every game on the same channel? How might MLB sway Dodgers to go along?
MLB POSTSEASON SCHEDULE, RESULTS
NL Division Series
All times Pacific
Dodgers vs. Philadelphia
Dodgers 5, at Philadelphia 3 (box score)
Dodgers 4, at Philadelphia 3 (box score)
Philadelphia 8, at Dodgers 2 (box score)
Thursday at Dodgers, 3 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Philadelphia, 5 p.m., TBS
Chicago vs. Milwaukee
at Milwaukee 9, Chicago 3 (box score)
at Milwaukee 7, Chicago 3 (box score)
at Chicago 4, Milwaukee 3 (box score)
Thursday at Chicago, 6 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Milwaukee, 1:30 p.m., TBS
AL Division Series
Detroit vs. Seattle
Detroit 3, at Seattle 2 (11) (box score)
at Seattle 3, Detroit 2 (box score)
Seattle 8, at Detroit 4 (box score)
at Detroit 9, Seattle 3 (box score)
Friday at Seattle, 1:40 p.m., FS1
New York vs. Toronto
at Toronto 10, New York 1 (box score)
at Toronto 13, New York 7 (box score)
at New York 9, Toronto 6 (box score)
Toronto 5, at New York 2 (box score)
*-if necessary
KINGS
Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore scored during the shootout and the Kings spoiled Pavel Dorofeyev’s hat trick and Mitch Marner’s debut in a Vegas uniform with a 6-5 win over the Golden Knights on Wednesday night.
After squandering a pair of two-goal leads in the second period, and falling behind by two goals in the third, the Kings bounced back from Tuesday’s season-opening loss to Colorado.
Moore and Brandt Clarke scored late in the third to tie the game and force overtime after Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored to give Vegas a 5-3 lead.
LAFC
Jeremy Ebobisse scored in the 13th minute, substitute Frankie Amaya added a second-half goal, and LAFC beat Toronto 2-0 on Wednesday night for its sixth straight victory.
LAFC (17-7-8) secured the club’s fourth six-game winning streak — with a chance to match its longest regular-season streak of seven on Sunday at Austin. LAFC moved within one point of San Diego and Vancouver for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Toronto (5-14-14) entered with eight consecutive draws in league play since Aug. 9 — the longest tie streak in MLS history.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1943 — Bob Hoernschemeyer throws six touchdown passes, an NCAA record for a freshman, to lead Indiana past Nebraska 54-13.
1965 — The United States wins the Ryder Cup 19½-12½ at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Arnold Palmer clinches the title, beating Peter Butler 2 up. It’s the 13th victory for the Americans in this event, which began in 1927. Britain, a three-time winner, last won in 1957.
1974 — The Washington Capitals lose their first NHL game, 6-3 to the Rangers at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
1982 — Al Del Greco kicks six field goals for all of Auburn’s points in an 18-3 triumph over Kentucky.
1983 — Buffalo’s Joe Ferguson passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns in an 38-35 overtime win against Miami. Uwe Von Schamann of the Dolphins misses two field goals in the overtime and Joe Danelo ends the game with a 36-yard field goal.
1991 — The San Jose Sharks gain their first NHL victory, defeating the Calgary Flames 4-3.
1993 — Minnesota’s Scott Eckers passes for 402 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in his first college start, sending the Gophers past Purdue 59-56.
1993 — Carey Bender rushes 33 times for 417 yards, setting an NCAA all-division single-game rushing record, in Coe’s 69-7 Division III victory over Grinnell.
2004 — Texas Tech beats Nebraska 70-10, the worst lost in the Cornhuskers’ storied 114-year history.
2004 — Texas loses to Oklahoma 12-0, getting shut out for the first time in 282 games and ending the longest streak in the country.
2005 — Chris Burke hits a home run in the bottom of the 18th inning and Roger Clemens pitches three scoreless innings of relief in Houston’s 7-6, series-ending victory over Atlanta in the NLDS. The longest postseason game in history takes 5 hours, 50 minutes.
2010 — Mike Brinkley passes for six touchdowns and Armond Smith runs for five scores to lead Union (Ky.) to an 84-55 victory over Bethel (Tenn.) in an NAIA game.
2010 — Derek Stepan becomes the fourth player to score three times in his NHL debut to lead the New York Rangers to a season-opening 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
2011 — Sebastian Janikowski kicks four field goals, including three from at least 50 yards (54, 55, 50), in Oakland’s 25-20 win over Houston. Houston’s Matt Schaub throws for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
2011 — The NHL returns to Winnipeg, but Carey Price stops 30 shots and the Montreal Canadiens dampen a city celebration with a 5-1 victory over the Jets.
2015 — Sepp Blatter, hoping to return to power as FIFA president, is banned for 90 days, essentially ending his 17-year reign as the leader of soccer’s governing body. UEFA President Michel Platini also gets a 90-day ban following an investigation of financial misconduct at FIFA in a Swiss criminal case.
2016 — Tom Brady returns from his four-game “Deflategate” suspension, passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns to Martellus Bennett in the New England Patriots’ 33-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
2022 — Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secures his second consecutive World F1 Drivers C’ship after finishing in front of Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc in the Japanese GP at Suzuka.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1928 — World Series: NY Yankees beat St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3 at Sportsman’s Park to become first to sweep consecutive World Series; Babe Ruth hits smashes 3 HRs for Yanks.
1934 — World Series: St Louis Cardinals rout Detroit Tigers, 11-0 at Navin Field to clinch 4 games to 3 series victory and 3rd championship.
1966 — World Series: Baltimore Orioles claim first championship in franchise history; edge LA Dodgers, 1-0 at Memorial Stadium for 4-0 sweep; MVP: Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson.
1988 — Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley saves all four games in the ALCS.
2005 — Chris Burke hits a home run in the bottom of the 18th inning and Roger Clemens pitches three scoreless innings of relief in Houston’s 7-6, series-ending victory over Atlanta in the NLDS. The longest postseason game in history takes 5 hours, 50 minutes.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.