Game 5 of the NLCS felt like Game 1 in a funhouse mirror.
The cast of characters were similar and the performances were on par with the beginning of the season with slight tweaks along the way.
Zac Gallen and Zack Wheeler toed the rubber yet again. Much like in the first time they faced Gallen, the Phillies jumped on the D-backs ace and notched two runs in the first inning. Wheeler didn’t give up a run until his final frame. In Game 1, he gave up a two-run home run to Geraldo Perdomo in the sixth. Saturday night, he gave up a solo shot to Alek Thomas in the seventh.
In the end, Philadelphia prevailed 6-1.
In many ways, both teams came back to what they are known for early on in the series. The Phillies hit multiple baseballs a very long way. They were relentless until pitch No. 1 and didn’t stop until the ninth.
The D-backs were able to grind out wins in Games 3 & 4, but fans were hopeful the team that had a 17-inning scoreless streak would not make another appearance. It was front and center in Game 5. Aside from Thomas’ home run, things were quiet for the home team.
The Snakes connected on some pitches, but they were right at Phillies defenders or hit to the deepest part of the ballpark.
Now, it’s on Merrill Kelly to keep this series alive for Game 6. He’ll need a stronger outing – and more support – than his Game 2 start, where he threw 5.2 innings, giving up four earned runs and two home runs off Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. It was also Philly’s most emphatic win of the postseason, post a 10-0 win.
“We have to go out and play our best game in Game 6. We have a very tough pitcher that we’re going to be facing, but once again, I’m going to put it on our group,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I believe in Merrill Kelly. I believe in Merrill Kelly, I believe in the guys to go out there and execute and play at a higher level and make plays and do things right.”
It very well could be on rookie Brandon Pfaadt if they can get to a a Game 7. Arizona would need the same Herculean effort Pfaadt provided in Game 3 – nine strikeouts in just 5.2 innings – but just on the road now.
Easy, right?
Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson knows how tough it is to win on the road in the postseason, and he’s grateful his team could do it on Saturday.
“Winning a game here is huge,” Thomson said. “It really is. Especially how we lost the first two here. It just shows the toughness of our club, the resiliency of our club because they’re not going to quit. They’re not.”
They only have to also deal with the raucous Citizens Bank Park crowds that helped the Phillies outscore Arizona 15-3 in the first two games of this series.
“We’re very respectful of where we’re going and the team that we’re playing,” Lovullo said. “But once again, we have to put it on us, on our dugout, our clubhouse and just go and do the things that we do best. We made some mistakes today, and we didn’t capitalize in some key situations, and that was the difference in the game.”
The Diamondbacks opened their postseason with four straight road wins. They’ll need two if they want a chance at another home game this season.
