LOS ANGELES– In the bottom of the 11th inning, a crucial error by the visiting Philadelphia Phillies secured a wild 2-1 victory.  A dramatic conclusion to a captivating and thrilling Playoff series,  now the Los Angeles Dodgers advance to the NLCS.

Over 50,000 jubilant Dodger fans who refused to sit. Thursday,  October 9 at Dodger Stadium. LA beat Philly 3-1 in the best of five.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the 11th inning, Andy Pages hit an easy ground ball to reliever Orion Kerkering. Kerkering booted the ball, then threw it toward home but out of the reach of catcher J.T. Realmuto — too little, too late to save his team’s season.

Hyeseong Kim crossed the plate, and the Dodgers won 2-1 in Game 4. They will face either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs in the next round, with their hopes for a repeat championship still alive.

Dodger Stadium erupted with noise as soon as the ball left Kerkering’s hand — in the wrong direction. Even after leaving a sinker inside, where Pages did most of his damage this season, and even after watching the ball bounce away from him, Kerkering could have fixed it.

“It’s brutal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s one of those things that it’s a PFP, a pitcher’s fielding practice. He’s done it a thousand times. And right there he was so focused, I’m sure, on just getting the hitter and just sort of forgot the outs and the situation.”

Los Angeles ended a postseason series with a walk-off win for the third time after Bill Russell’s single against the Phillies in Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS and Chris Taylor’s homer in the 2021 NL wild card game.

 

Nick Castellanos’ RBI double in the seventh off Emmet Sheehan had put the Phillies ahead but Jhoan Duran walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the bottom half, forcing in the tying run.

More proof of a Dodgers Dynasty, the Blue Crew has reached the Pennant(NLCS), for the eighth time in thirteen seasons.

Game 4 was when our bullpen became resillient.

Dodgers rookie Roki Sasakie averaging 99.5 mph his his fastball, threw three innings of hitless relief, combining with Tylor Glasnow, Sheehan and winner on Alex Vesia a four-hitter.

Glasnow allowed two hits and three walks in six innings with eight of the 12 strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers.

Our Dodgers are halfway there.