Steve Webb
Game 113, 8/5/2024: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — In a high-stakes clash between the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, the Boys in Blue emerged victorious with a 5-3 win, thanks to an impressive start from Tyler Glasnow and a crucial fourth inning against Aaron Nola. This game, held at Dodger Stadium, was marked by stellar performances and key moments that ultimately decided the outcome.
Of course, the biggest moment in the game came in the bottom of the first and had nothing to do with baseball. After being away from the team for over a week, Freddie Freeman returned to first base for the Dodgers on Friday, having endured a tough week of hospital visits while his young son Maximus struggled with Guillain-Barré syndrome, which left the three-year old paralyzed and on a ventilator for several days. When Freeman came to bat in the first inning, the Dodger Stadium crowd rose as one to love on Freddie, giving him one of the biggest standing ovations of the year. It was one of those chill-inducing moments that seem to only happen in sports.
On the field, it was Tyler Glasnow’s start that set the tone for the Dodgers. He pitched six solid innings, allowing only three runs on five hits while striking out nine batters. His command and presence on the mound stifled the Phillies’ offense, keeping them at bay and giving his team a chance to capitalize later in the game. Even though he got dinged for those three runs in the scorebook, anyone who saw this game could tell you that those three runs were of the garbage variety. Andy Pages should have caught an inning-ending flyball in the the third, which was followed up by a weakly hit ball and a passed ball to score two runs. Then, an excuse-me swing double from Bryce Harper set up another run on an infield chopper in the sixth. It could have very easily been six shutout innings for Glasnow.
The turning point came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Facing one of the Philadelphia’s best pitchers, Aaron Nola, the Dodgers seized the opportunity. Jason Heyward and Andy Pages started the frame with back-to-back doubles to score the Dodgers’ first run. Then, after Shohei Ohtani‘s sacrifice fly tied the game at 2-2, Teoscar Hernández delivered a two-run homer, giving the Dodgers a lead they would not relinquish. Hernández’s home run, his 24th of the season, showcased his power and clutch hitting.
Nola struggled a bit against the Dodgers’ lineup. He pitched six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. Nola’s ERA matched Glasnow’s at 3.54, but he couldn’t overcome the Dodgers’ offensive surge in the fourth inning. His lone consolation was striking out four batters, yet it wasn’t enough to secure a win.
Shohei Ohtani added insurance for the Dodgers with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his 34th of the season. His all-around performance, including a double and a stolen base, underscored his value to the team.
The Dodgers’ bullpen held firm, with Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda, and Daniel Hudson combining for three scoreless innings. Hudson earned his eighth save, securing the win.
The Dodgers, now 66-47, maintain their position at the top of the NL West, while the Phillies, despite the loss, remain first in the NL East with a 66-46 record. And anybody who can do simple math can see that this win now puts the Dodgers within a half a game of the best record in the National League. That could be huge come October. If it’s these two teams in the NLCS, it would be nice to have four games at the Ravine rather than at Citizens’ Bank Park. And for all the Dodgers struggles of late, it just might happen.
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