PHILADELPHIA CREAM — Jean Segura played 11 seasons in the majors, made two All-Star teams and hit .300 three times, but never had an inning like the fourth inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Friday evening.
Playing in his first playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies the second baseman dropped the shortstop’s throw Bryson Stottturning a potential late-inning double play into an tying point for the San Diego Padres.
Late inning, however, he redeemed himself with a clutch single, two outs, two strikes and two runs to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead in a game they would hold to win 4-2 at take a 2-1 series lead.
“In the end we are going to make a mistake,” Segura said. “It’s the game I’ve probably played 3,000 times in my life, but for some reason I missed it. As a player, you never give up. Just keep going, keep playing the game. game because you don’t. know how the game will end. Maybe this game can affect you throughout the game.
Segura, who had made a fine diving save on the pitch earlier in the game, would add a fantastic second game of diving to steal the quick Ha Seong Kim of a hit with two outs and a runner on base to finish the seventh. He raised his arm in the air and kicked his leg in a strong show of emotion.
“I’m excited,” Segura said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like Goku, little Goku, like something, like fire inside my body. Like I just want to blow it out, like an explosive. If you don’t get emotional with 45,000 people in the stands or 46,000 people in the stands, you’re playing the wrong sport.”
After Segura error, Phillies had a date at the mound with starter Ranger Suarezwho would end up picking up the win with five solid runs.
first baseman Rhys Hoskins wasn’t surprised Segura recovered from the mistake.
“He’s a 10, 11-year-old pro and he’s enjoying and soaking up every second because he’s waited so long and competed for so long, working his cue for 15-16 straight offseasons most likely, so, no, not surprised at all,” Hoskins said. “Also, how many big hits have we seen him get, right? He also had the opportunity to make very good plays on the field. The first thing he said when we went to the mound after dropping the ball was, ‘Storage, give me another one. That’s just the type of confidence he has in himself. “
The game ended in controversy in the top of the ninth inning. After Josh Bell started with a hit against the Phillies closer Seranthony Dominguez – who was trying to complete only his second two-inning outing of the season – third base umpire Todd Tichenor called Jurickson Profar on a verified 3-2 swing.
Profar, who had already flipped his bat and started his trot towards first base, crouched down in disbelief and began to walk towards Tichenor, knocking off his helmet and then kicking him. Plate umpire Ted Barrett ejected Profar from the game.
“I thought I wasn’t going and it should have been a walk,” Profar said, claiming he wasn’t even really swinging, just trying to get out of the way of a backdoor slider. “I didn’t have a very good chance of seeing it, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Maybe the bat was in front, but I was just getting out of the way. I didn’t go, I didn’t sway.”
He said he was not worried about a possible suspension.
“No chance, man. MLB doesn’t suspend people for that. We’re playing a game and we’re playing with emotion. We’re not playing soft. We’re playing to win and I’m playing with emotion,” Profar said.
Had Profar walked, the Padres would have had momentum on their end and pressure on Dominguez with runners on first and second and no one coming out. Instead, the last two batters, Trent Grisham and Austin Nola, came down on a pop-up and a strikethrough. Dominguez ended up throwing 34 pitches over his two innings, his second-highest total of his season, and recorded the Phillies’ first two-inning playoff save since Tug McGraw in 1980.
He’s now pitched 6⅓ innings this postseason, allowing just two hits with 13 strikeouts and no walks.
For crucial Game 4 on Saturday night, both managers look to their No. 4 starters – Mike Clevinger for the Padres and Bailey Falter for the Phillies, who fired the task on Noah Syndergaard. Clevinger struggled in his only playoff start against the Dodgers in the Division Series, allowing six hits and five runs over 2⅔ innings. This after a 6.52 ERA in six starts in September.
He struggled with a sore knee but managed to throw a 35-pitch bullpen on Thursday for the first time in a month.
“We had some ups and downs,” Clevinger said after Game 3. end. And then finally last week, it was really, really encouraging.
Still, the Padres didn’t use any of their best relievers – Nick Martinez, Luis Garcia, Robert Suarez and Josh Hader – in Game 3, Melvin will therefore have a full bullpen at his disposal on Saturday.
“I’m going until Bob comes and tells me I can’t go anymore,” Clevinger said.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he’ll have to wait and see if Dominguez is available for Game 4.
“We’ll have to check Seranthony,” Thomson said. “That’s the most shots he’s thrown all year. We got to the point in the game where we had the lead late and we had to go for it.”
