PHOENIX — It's all tied up! In front of 47,806 fans that packed a sold-out Chase Field in Downtown Phoenix on Friday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 to tie the National League Championship Series (NLCS) at two wins a piece.
The D-backs motto this postseason has been 'Embrace the Chaos' and the chaos started before the game even began as Phillies and D-backs fans battled to see who could be the loudest, with Arizona fans getting the early victory.
The chaos would continue in the bottom of the second inning when D-backs outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stole a home run away from Phillies' catcher J.T. Realmuto right in front of the left field bleachers, causing the fans to grab their rally towels and go nuts.
The D-backs would take the early lead in this game on an RBI single from Emmanuel Rivera in the bottom of the second inning.
Arizona would add to the lead in the third on an RBI single from rookie catcher Gabriel Moreno to make it 2-0.
However, the Phillies offense, which has been on fire in the postseason, would answer as designated hitter Kyle Schwarber led off the fourth with a home run (the Phillies' 20th of the postseason), followed an inning later by a game-tying RBI double from left fielder Brandon Marsh.
That home run was Schwarber's 19th career postseason home run, which is the most among left-handed hitters in MLB history.
But one of the most chaotic moments of this game came in the sixth when D-backs pitcher Andrew Saalfrank threw a pitch that bounced and got stuck in Moreno's chest protector. Because of that, Kyle Schwarber was able to advance to second, bringing a chorus of boos from the fans.
The play was originally ruled an error on Moreno, as he was ruled to have picked up the ball with his mask, which is why Schwarber was allowed to take second base.
However, it was later changed to a wild pitch, which begs the question, should Schwarber have been allowed to advance?
That would end being a pivotal moment in the game as Schwarber scored on an infield single just a couple of batters later (and was joined by Trea Turner who scored on a throwing error by Rivera on the same play) to give Philadelphia a 4-2 lead.
Both teams would add runs in the seventh inning and the chaos would continue in the eighth when D-backs outfielder Alek Thomas hit a pinch-hit two-run home run into the pool to tie the game!
Moreno added to the madness with an RBI single to give the D-backs a 6-5 lead and bring closer Paul Sewald into the game.
Sewald gave up a double in the bottom of the ninth but was able to retire the Phillies without giving up a run, earning the save and tying the series.
What does this mean?
Thanks to the Game Four win over the Phillies, the D-backs have ensured that the NLCS will go at least six games, which means the D-backs will be heading back to Philadelphia for at least one game.
Zac Gallen will get the start for the D-backs against Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler in a rematch from Game One. The first pitch of Game Five will be at 5:07 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on TBS.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
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