In Game 5 of the NLCS, the Phillies had the perfect man on the mound, and they never looked back after scoring two runs for Zack Wheeler before he threw his first pitch of the night.
On the other side, Zac Gallen must have had his fill of facing Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. The Phillies secured a 6-1 victory, managing to salvage one out of the three games in Arizona and taking a 3-2 lead in the Best-of-7 series as they returned to Philadelphia. With two opportunities at home on Monday and Tuesday (if necessary), they are now just one step away from reaching their second consecutive World Series.
Schwarber and Harper were the dynamic duo of the night, crushing solo home runs in the top of the sixth inning to double the Phillies’ lead. They had also taken Gallen deep in the first inning of Game 1, and their prowess continued in the sixth inning of Game 5. Gallen, a Cy Young candidate, managed only one strikeout in the game. However, he struggled against the Phillies’ left-handed hitters.
Notably, Schwarber and Harper played a crucial role in the Phillies’ two first-inning runs. They both singled to put runners on the corners with one out. After Alec Bohm’s foulout, Bryson Stott came through with a pivotal two-out RBI single.
The drama didn’t end there, as the next batter was J.T. Realmuto, who also faced a critical at-bat with runners on the corners. Down 0-2 in the count, the Phillies executed a daring play, with Stott breaking for second. As D-backs catcher Gabriel Moreno made his throw, Stott momentarily froze, allowing Harper to make a bold move from third. He beat an errant throw, sliding safely into home for the Phillies’ first-ever postseason steal of home. In the process, there was a minor collision between Harper’s forearm and Moreno’s face, and Harper took a moment to check on the catcher, who received attention from Arizona’s trainers for a brief period. In Game 5
Schwarber and Harper have now tied with Jayson Werth for the most home runs in Phillies playoff history with 11. Additionally, Schwarber’s 20 career postseason homers are a record for a left-handed hitter.