Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After yesterday’s messy loss and following an 80-minute rain delay, the Dodgers and Phillies played an airtight game that was tense throughout. They moved Justin Wrobleski up a day and along with Zack Wheeler they delivered a pitchers’ duel as they both worked into the 7th inning. However, it was Max Muncy‘s homer that was the big blow, as both bullpens were also flawless to give the Dodgers a 2-1 win.
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Fresh off his All-Star Game appearance in the same park, Justin Wrobleski started a bit shaky with an early run, but settled in from there to navigate around trouble and leave with a lead.
Things started well in the 1st with a strikeout and first-pitch groundout, but he then gave up a double and a single to Alec Bohm that gave the Phillies an early 1-0 lead before the end of that frame.
Bohm's 50th RBI of the season gets us on the board! pic.twitter.com/FmOWk6bMKY
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 22, 2026
In the 2nd, he worked around a two-out walk and stolen base, and he did the same to a lead-off single in the 3rd. The 4th started with more traffic after a tough error on Max Muncy, but three outs followed that thanks in large part to a great catch by Andy Pages in center.
Andy Pages with a great running catch on the track and shows off the arm for good measure. 95 MPH. pic.twitter.com/KVpsSnptIV
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2026
Yet another lead-off single in the 5th was erased by a double play, so Wrobo faced the minimum there, and he worked around a one-out double in the 6th that saw Edmundo Sosa humiliate himself.
Wrobo then got a strikeout to start the 7th, and that was it for him: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 89 Pitches.
Wrobo's 7th K, a lockup front-door sweeper. pic.twitter.com/cieHvP5BYK
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2026
Another impressive showing gives him a 27/3 K/BB ratio in his last 20.1 innings over his last three starts.
Justin Wrobleski's seven strikeouts as he continues to roll. pic.twitter.com/wv7AKyo6Wt
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2026
Dave Roberts went back to Evan Phillips, continuing to test him in leverage, and this time he rewarded his manager with back-to-back strikeouts.
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On the other side, Zack Wheeler started comfortably by retiring the first eight batters he faced, and then drama hit that ended up benefitting him.
Less than ideal was giving up a two-out double to Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. in the 3rd, and then Shohei Ohtani followed with a single up the middle that seemed to tie the game. However, Ohtani tried to stretch the hit into a double and was ruled out on review, which proved important because for whatever reason Alfonzo Jr. almost came to a complete stop on the basepaths before touching home. The blame mostly lies on Alfonzo for lazy baserunning despite whatever else was going on.
Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. doubles then Shohei Ohtani singles to seemingly score him. However, Alfonzo Jr. jogs home and Ohtani gets thrown out at second going for a double before Alfonzo touches home. No run. pic.twitter.com/6u56eAfXTL
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2026
Just one of those infuriating things that makes games hard to watch. Like at the end of the day, it’s inconsequential to their end goal, but it’s extremely frustrating and only causes fans to wonder where their heads are at.
Still 1-0 Phillies.
Fortunately, the Dodgers came back and did it the easy way in the 4th. As Andy Pages led off with a single and Max Muncy ambushed the first-pitch with one down for his 19th homer of the season to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
Max Muncy is now tied for second in Dodgers history for homers after this two-run shot allows them to bypass having to play smart. After all that, the lead. pic.twitter.com/YDu90CrMNo
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 22, 2026
After that Wheeler resumed cruising, retiring the next seven in a row before a bloop two-out single in the 6th, which led to nothing further. He quickly got a clean 7th, and mercifully for the Dodgers that was the end of his time.
Jose Alvarado took over in the 8th and had no problems there, which led to Jonathan Bowlan in the 9th getting the side in order.
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Closing the game out for the Dodgers over the final two innings would be a matchup party, as Phillips continued to start the 8th with an out. Then Tanner Scott entered for the marquee matchups against Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, getting a strikeout and then a flyout to navigate that danger area.
Scott continued in the 9th, which started with a lead-off single to Alec Bohm, who was run for by Justin Crawford. After Scott rebounded with a strikeout, he fell behind 3-0 and then gave up a 3-1 double to J.T. Realmuto put a pair in scoring position. Things seemed bleak, but then Brandon Marsh got jammed and hit a weak grounder to Muncy, who got Crawford in a rundown. Dalton Rushing threw to the covering Mookie Betts to tag Crawford out, then for whatever reason Realmuto went back to second, and Tommy Edman applied the tag there to end the game.
Unreal.
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Shohei Ohtani had an interesting spike cleaning routine.
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The series concludes tomorrow and it’ll hopefully start on time at 12:40 PM HT/3:40 PM PT/6:40 PM ET with Eric Lauer facing off against Aaron Nola.
