The Padres lineup never got going in Tuesday's NLCS opener. While a 2-0 deficit was too much to overcome in Game 1, a 4-0 hole was barely an obstacle for the Padres - who came back for an 8-5 win.
On Saturday the Padres used a five-run seventh inning to come back against the Dodgers and clinch the series in Game 4. Wednesday afternoon they used a five-run fifth inning to flip the script against Philly.
Ha-Seong Kim led off with a single to left. Two batters later Austin Nola earned lifetime bragging rights against his younger brother Aaron by driving in Kim with a base hit to make it a 4-3 game.
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After a Jurickson Profar single, Juan Soto had his latest big postseason moment, driving a double to deep right to tie the game at 4. A Jake Cronenworth walk was followed by a Brandon Drury single, his second RBI of the game. Josh Bell added one of his own to cap the rally.
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Nola went 4.2 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits with six strikeouts. He was on track for the win before the Padres' offensive explosion.
The Phillies took control early thanks to a hard-luck four-run second inning. Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm scattered softly hit singles into the shallow outfield, with Bohm's scoring Harper. Matt Vierling lifted a fly ball to deep right field that should have been caught by Soto, but the outfielder lost it in the sun - allowing another run to come across. Edmundo Soso singled to left, just short of Jurickson Profar and Kyle Schwarber grounded out to first to supply the final two runs of the frame.
San Diego answered immediately with Drury and Bell hitting back-to-back home runs. Drury's shot to left was his first of the postseason. Bell belted a towering blast to right for his first since their series opener against the Mets.
Manny Machado added some insurance after their big fifth inning, going to deep center field for a 424-foot home run. The MVP candidate's blast gave the Padres an 8-4 cushion.
Rhys Hoskins got one back for the Phillies with a solo shot in the seventh off Robert Suarez, who's been nails at Petco Park this postseason. J.T. Realmuto lined a single with no outs and the Phillies were in position to start a rally of their own, but Suarez coaxed Bryce Harper into a double play and sat Nick Castellanos down on strikes to end the inning.
Josh Hader only needed 7 pitches to seal the deal in the ninth and earn his fourth save of the postseason. So far in the postseason, he's struck out 10, walked one and given up one hit over 5.1 innings.
Blake Snell was lights out with the exception of that big second. He needed just six pitches to get through the first, and 52 total in the four frames apart from the second. Snell gave up four earned runs, giving up five hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
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