Teoscar Hernández's offensive outpour not enough as Dodgers’ drop series against Phillies

PHILIDELPHIA -- A high-scoring affair in Philadelphia went the Phillies way as they won the rubber match against the Dodgers by a final of 8-7. A disastrous third inning was the fatal kidney shot for the Dodgers and the Los Angeles pitching staff were giving free passes like they were candy as they issued 11 walks total for the game. Teoscar Hernández had a day at the plate driving in five of the Dodgers' seven runs along with two home runs, but it wasn't enough to top the Phillies at home. 

The Dodgers started the scoring in this game in the first as after a single by Tommy Edman, Hernández blasted an opposite-field two-run home run, his first of two in the game, to tack on two early runs for Los Angeles. 

The light rain that drizzled on top of Citizens Bank Park had a huge impact in the third inning. Glasnow would walk Rafael Marchán to begin the inning, followed by Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner free passes that would have the bases full of Phillies with no outs. Bryce Harper was the next man up to the plate and hit a bloop single to score Marchán and cut the deficit to 2-1. The rain was tormenting Glasnow as he couldn't seem to get his footing on the mound and the ball slipped out of his hands as he threw a wild pitch in the next at-bat and quickly, the Phillies had tied the game. Glasnow continued to give out free passes and would walk Max Kepler. This would be Glasnow's final batter as he walked off the mound visibly upset. His final line score was two innings, five earned runs on two hits, and five walks with only two punchouts. He threw 60 pitches, only 28 of them were strikes. 

Alex Vesia would come in to replace Glasnow and the cherry on top of a disastrous inning would be placed as Nick Castellanos was first pitch swinging and launched a go-ahead grand slam that concluded a six-run inning for Philadelphia. 

Los Angeles would quickly answer back in the top half of the fourth as again, Hernández would launch his second home run of the game off the right field foul pole, and in the fifth, he would deliver again with an RBI double and inch the Dodgers closer 6-4. He has scored all of the Dodgers' four runs up until this point and after that at-bat, in only 9 career AB's vs Christopher Sánchez, Hernández has five hits including two doubles and two HR's.

Phillies starting pitcher Christopher Sánchez would do his job on the mound and neutralize the Dodger's starting nine by going 5.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and one walk, while striking out nine. He threw 88 pitches, 60 of which were strikes. 

A call of appreciation to Jack Dreyer on the Dodgers pitching front as he was solid on the mound as he went 2.1 innings, only walking two batters, allowing no runs on no hits, and striking out four Phillies. 

The sun would emerge from the clouds and the Dodgers' offense would surge once again as in the seventh inning, someone else not named Teoscar Hernández would drive in a run as Mookie Betts cracked an RBI double to score Andy Pages from second and put the Dodgers fifth run on the board. 

Of course, Hernández had to add his fifth RBI of the day by hitting a sacrifice fly to right that would allow Shohei Ohtani to score with ease and we had ourselves a new ball game and Los Angeles completed the comeback being down by four runs. 

The Dodgers weren't done yet as Will Smith would hit an RBI double of his own and give Los Angeles their first lead of the game 7-6. 

Philadelphia was quiet for some time until they answered back to the Dodgers' comeback by tying the game with a Bryson Stott RBI single and one of the fastest players in the league, Edmundo Sosa, legs out safely to first on a ground out that allowed Kepler to score and regain the lead 8-7 which would ultimately put the nail in the coffin for Los Angeles and drop the series. 

The Dodgers (9-2) now set their sights on Washington D.C. to play the Nationals (3-6) for the final three games of this six-game road trip. Dustin May (0-0) will be handed the ball for Los Angeles and MacKenzie Gore (0-1) will be on the bump for the Nationals.