PHILADELPHIA − Things went from bad to worse for the Phillies.
They were cruising along with a 3-0 lead on Sept. 23 as Cristopher Sanchez was dominant through 7 innings, keeping alive their chance to clinch a bye through the wild card playoffs. The Phillies needed a win and a Dodgers loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks to clinch.
But Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to pull Sanchez, who had thrown 91 pitches through that point. David Robertson then gave up two runs as a light rain started falling before Tanner Banks got out of the inning.
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The Phillies brought in closer Jhoan Duran to protect that one-run lead. But with one out, he gave up a game-tying homer to Heriberto Hernandez on an 0-and-2 pitch clocked at 101 mph.
Before the home run, Hernandez fouled a pitch off J.T. Realmuto’s right, throwing hand. Realmuto stayed in the game, but was pinch hit for to start the ninth by Rafael Marchan.
Marchan singled as a heavy rain started falling. That’s when play was stopped.
For the Phillies, they were playing without Bryce Harper, who was out with an illness. In addition, shortstop Trea Turner and Edmundo Sosa are still on the injured list. That left Bryson Stott to play shortstop and Weston Wilson at second.
Still, the Phillies were in good shape after Kyle Schwarber hit his 54th homer in the first inning, a solo blast. Then Otto Kemp, playing first base in place of Harper, added a two-run shot in the second inning.
Sanchez was cruising. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk. He struck out 6. Sanchez surpassed 200 strikeouts on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.57. Thomson has already penciled Sanchez in to start the Phillies’ first postseason game.
But Thomson decided to pull him in the eighth for Robertson.
It didn’t go well. With one out, he gave up a solo homer to Griffin Conine. Then one out later, he gave up a single to Otto Lopez. Liam Hicks followed with a single sending Lopez to third. But Harrison Bader’s errant throw from center field allowed Lopez to score.
Banks came in and struck out Jakob Marsee to end the inning, the Phillies clinging to a 3-2 lead.
Duran couldn’t hold it.
The blown save is his third in 18 save opportunities since coming to the Phillies in a July 31st trade with the Minnesota Twins.
And then the Phillies had to wait out the rain for a chance to clinch a bye for the first round of the playoffs.