The Philadelphia Phillies are headed to the National League Championship Series! They are starting to look like a team of destiny.
The Phillies are making their first trip to the National League Championship Series since 2010 after Saturday’s 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of a division series.
Brandon Marsh got things started for the Phillies with a long three-run home run to open up the scoring in the second inning. Orlando Arcia put the Braves on the board with a solo shot in the third.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto belted a long fly ball from Colin McHugh into deep center field over the head of Michael Harris II. Harris made every effort to make the catch, but it was just out of his reach and took a funky hop off the wall, skidding away from him. With no backup in sight, Harris was forced to field the ball away from him, which gave Realmuto time to round the bases for an inside-the-park homer and give the Phils a 4-1 lead.
Matt Olson’s solo shot in the fourth brought the Braves back to within two. In the sixth, the Phillies had runners on first and second with two outs, Braves Manager Brian Snitker put in Raisel Iglesias to get one out, but the Phillies poured it on with three straight two-out RBI singles by Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper to give them a 7-2 lead.
Photo courtsey of Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud hit a solo home runin the seventh, but Bryce Harper answered with a solo home run of his own in the eighth.
The Phillies sneaked into the postseason as the sixth seed with an 87-75 record. They are now 5-1 in the postseason. The Phillies now await the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres series, where another upset is brewing. The Padres lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates an inside-the-park home run against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning of Game 4 of a National League Division Series. Photo courtsey of Patrick Smith/Getty Images
