Dodgers suffer their first loss after ninth-inning rally sputters vs. Phillies
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PHILADELPHIA — To many around baseball, the Dodgers have become villains for the way they’ve outspent the rest of the league, loaded their roster with international talent and stockpiled depth at seemingly every position.
To the Philadelphia Phillies, however, it makes them the standard; one with which their own big-money, star-studded roster is trying to compete.
“I don’t know if people will like this,” the Phillies’ biggest star, two-time National League most valuable player Bryce Harper, said when asked Friday about the Dodgers, “but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing. I think they’re a great team, they’re a great organization. That’s why guys want to go there and play.”
Mookie Betts repeatedly emphasized his desire to be with his teammates when the Dodgers visit the White House on Monday to honor their 2024 World Series title.
In other words, Harper added, “they’re doing what the Dodgers do.”
That’s why Friday night there was a distinct buzz around Citizens Bank Park. Why, for the first week of April, this series had a litmus-test feel.
“Both teams like to use each other as a barometer or a benchmark,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Right now no team sets the bar higher than the Dodgers. For one night, at least, the first-place Phillies were able to measure up.
The Phillies handed the defending World Series champions their first loss, 3-2 , dropping the Dodgers to 8-1 in a game that, yes, proved this $400-million team is, in fact, beatable.
“Uncharted territory,” Roberts deadpanned.
“We were bound to lose eventually,” Tommy Edman added. “But still a tough loss for sure.”
Indeed, knocking off the Dodgers was no easy feat.
Over six innings against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Phillies had one unearned run. Yamamoto misfired on a pickoff throw to third that allowed Trea Turner to score.
“That was very regrettable,” Yamamoto, who was otherwise flawless in a three-hit, three-walk, five-strikeout start, said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “It was a very fundamental play.”
Philadelphia’s starter, burgeoning 27-year-old left-hander Jesús Luzardo, produced one of his best starts, blanking the Dodgers over seven innings on two hits, two walks, eight strikeouts — and some help from a howling wind blowing in from center, which kept seemingly surefire home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández in the ballpark.
“Shohei’s ball, on any normal night, would’ve been a homer. I thought Teo’s ball, any normal night, would’ve been a homer,” Roberts said. “But you can’t take credit away from Luzardo. He pitched a heck of a ballgame.”
And the few times the Dodgers had opportunities to erase the deficit — which grew to 3-0 after the Phillies scored twice in the seventh off reliever Kirby Yates — they squandered them with either empty at-bats (such as Kiké Hernández’s inning-ending strikeout with two aboard in the seventh) or, more frustratingly, miscues on the bases.
Andy Pages was caught stealing to end the sixth inning, getting stuck in a rundown after a premature jump that triggered a pickoff throw from Luzardo.
“As a young player, you still got to play the game the right way,” Roberts said. “He was doubled off a couple games ago. And this one, you go and you stop — you just can’t. ... Gotta eliminate those outs on the bases.”
Ohtani gambled with runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth, getting thrown out at second by star Phillies catcher JT Realmuto to end the inning with Mookie Betts at the plate.
“Realmuto is one of the best throwers in the game,” Roberts said, noting Ohtani had the green light to steal. “But when you’re down three with Mookie at the plate, you got to make sure you’re safe if you’re going to go.”
Then, after a two-run, ninth-inning homer from Edman — who tied for the early National League lead with five long balls — cut the three-run deficit to one, Chris Taylor was thrown out trying to steal second as a pinch-runner, ending the game on a strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out double play as Max Muncy went down swinging.
“Giving those guys three outs on the bases,” Roberts said, “that’s something that we have to clean up.”
As a result, the Dodgers’ perfect start fell two wins shy of the franchise record of 10-0, set by the 1955 “Boys of Summer” World Series squad.
And they got their first reminder that in this year’s pennant race, they still will be tested by fellow contenders, from divisional rivals like the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres (who also lost their perfect record Friday) to perhaps the World Series-starved Phillies most of all.
“It’s hard to beat a good team,” Roberts said. “That’s what happened tonight.”
As for Harper’s “losers” comment about people who take issue with the Dodgers’ way of doing business?
“I guess that’s probably why Bryce is one of my favorite players,” Roberts said with a laugh. “I agree.”
