NLCS: Seranthony Dominguez Leads a Rebuilt Phillies Bullpen, Stops Dodgers
The Philadelphia Phillies were able to reassemble their bullpen as they chased NL East-leading National League Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw deep into the playoffs.
The bullpen was a key component to Philadelphia’s 3-0 win over the Dodgers on Friday night, as the Phillies re-established a six-year consecutive playoff series win streak over the D-backs.
Starting the series with a dominating performance, Dominguez pitched a complete game, while striking out 10, walking just two and giving up just two hits, while throwing 93 pitches.
The victory gave the Phillies a 3-2 series lead heading to Los Angeles for the next game — a game that both the Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers could win.
The top-seeded Dodgers are one of the few teams in baseball that can be thrown out of the playoffs completely. They have the worst offense in baseball and a pitching staff that ranks in the bottom five in the majors over the last two seasons.
The Dodgers will have to avoid being swept by the Phillies in the series.
The Phillies have won 12 of their last 14 against the Dodgers and have won more games at home than away since the beginning of last year.
This is the 1st time in Major League Baseball history that a team swept a series in the playoffs.
The Phillies will look to repeat as champions in two more seasons, however, they will have to get past two teams that are clearly better than them on the field.
The Dodgers finished the regular season with a record of 78-84, having lost nine straight against the Phillies dating back to 2013.
The Phillies are hoping to return to their winning ways in these playoffs.
The Phillies won their past three series against the Dodgers: The most recent win came last season with a 4-3 series win over Los Angeles.
After a solid start to the season, the Phillies have been derailed by injuries and inconsistency, which