NLCS: Mike Clevinger and Padres Are Overwhelmed in Philadelphia
This was an amazing postseason baseball game to watch, an absolute slugfest with an excellent lineup from both teams in the National League Championship Series. From the first pitch to the last out, it was a fantastic evening of baseball.
The Phillies’ and Dodgers’ pitching staffs were as even as they could be, with a solid lead between Jon Lester and Kenta Maeda. Jonny Venters and Rich Hill had both had a solid outing and were the only two Dodgers that would not allow a run over seven innings. In addition, the Phillies pitching staff had a.235 batting average and were the first team to allow 13 hits. The Phillies were also the first team to go up 2-0 in consecutive innings.
But the Phillies came up short, losing the game 6-3, as the Dodgers went on to win it in the 11th inning. The Phillies offense did have some great hitters, as they had a batting average of.250, but they needed their three best hitters to go all the way; they could not get anyone past the plate. If the Phillies were going to win, they needed someone to come up big, and they couldn’t get their best hitters to do it.
Mike Clevinger put together an excellent outing, notching six innings, allowing two hits and two walks and striking out two. He would be his team’s best pitcher in a game that the team lost to the Dodgers 2-1, but he would also not be their best pitcher in the series. The Phillies needed a high-profile pitcher who was going to lead off and knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs. While it is important to have that kind of pitcher in the postseason (with four pitchers who could make a playoff start), the Phillies really need to get someone to start at the bottom of the lineup.
Clevinger threw a perfect game and hit a game-winning home run, with the Phillies getting four key hits and a hit or a walk in the 9th inning. It is not easy to hit a home run when you are in an 1-0