Los Angeles Dodgers Storm Back To Defeat the Philadelphia Phillies In Game 1 Of NLDS

Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park felt like one of those games that would make your grandfather throw his cap at the TV. The Philadelphia Phillies had everything going their way early, then watched it all crumble faster than a stale cheesesteak. The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a stunning 5-3 comeback victory in Game 1 of the NLDS, leaving 45,000 Phillies fans wondering what the heck just happened.

Early Fireworks Give Phillies False Hope

The Phillies came out swinging like they had somewhere important to be. In the bottom of the second inning, they jumped all over Dodgers ace Shohei Ohtani like he was throwing batting practice. J.T. Realmuto ripped a two-RBI triple that had Citizens Bank Park rocking, and Harrison Bader followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 3-0. For a brief, shining moment, Phillies fans probably thought this was going to be easier than expected. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Cristopher Sanchez was dealing for Philadelphia through five innings, keeping the Dodgers’ lineup quieter than a library on Sunday morning. But baseball has a funny way of humbling you right when you start feeling good about yourself. The sixth inning arrived, and with it came the beginning of the end for the Phillies’ early celebration.

The Comeback That Broke Philadelphia’s Heart

Enter Kiké Hernández, the Dodgers’ postseason wizard who seems to save his best magic tricks for October. With two outs in the sixth, Hernández lined a two-run double that cut the deficit to 3-2. Suddenly, that three-run cushion felt about as secure as a house of cards in a windstorm.

The seventh inning is where things got really ugly for Philadelphia. David Robertson started the frame but quickly found himself in hot water. Manager Rob Thomson brought in Matt Strahm, who looked like he might escape the jam after striking out Ohtani and getting Mookie Betts to pop out. Then came the moment that will haunt Phillies fans all winter: Teoscar Hernández stepped into the box.

Hernández Delivers the Knockout Punch

Strahm left a 92-mph fastball right over the heart of the plate—the kind of mistake that makes pitching coaches wake up in cold sweats. Hernández didn’t miss it. The ball sailed into the right-field bleachers, giving the Dodgers their first lead at 5-3. You could practically hear the air leaving Citizens Bank Park.

That home run was Hernández’s third of the postseason, because apparently this guy thinks October is his personal highlight reel. For a Dodgers team that’s been known to struggle in big moments, watching their role players step up had to feel pretty darn good.

Missed Opportunities Doom the Phillies

Here’s the thing about facing a juggernaut like the Dodgers—you can’t leave runners stranded like they’re waiting for the subway. The Phillies had golden opportunities in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings, but their offense went colder than a Philly winter.

The eighth inning was particularly painful. With runners on first and second and just one out, the Phillies had the tying run in scoring position. Instead, they went down in order, with Nick Castellanos hitting into an inning-ending double play that probably made half the city reach for antacids. It is the kind of sequence that makes you wonder if the baseball gods have a cruel sense of humor.

Ohtani and Sasaki Shine For Los Angeles

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Ohtani looked mortal early but settled in beautifully. After that rocky second inning, he dominated, striking out nine batters over six innings. For his first postseason pitching appearance, it was pretty impressive stuff.

Roki Sasaki closed it out in the ninth, because apparently the Dodgers have so much talent they can just casually throw elite arms at you all night long. He made it look easy, getting Bryson Stott to pop out and end Philadelphia’s misery. Game 2 is Monday at 6:08 PM, with the Dodgers sending Blake Snell to the mound. If the Phillies don’t figure out how to capitalize on their chances, this series might be shorter than anyone expected.