Phillies vs. Diamondbacks: Live updates, highlights from NLCS Game 7 with World Series spot up for grabs
The Texas Rangers await Tuesday night’s winner in the 2023 Fall Classic
A World Series spot is on the line Tuesday night as the Philadelphia Phillies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in NLCS Game 7. With the National League Championship Series tied at 3-3, the two teams will play one last game at Citizens Bank Park to determine who advances to the 2023 Fall Classic to face the AL champion Texas Rangers. Here’s how to watch Game 7.
In this high-stakes encounter, the Diamondbacks started rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, and he’s opposing Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez. While both hurlers have enjoyed success during the 2023 postseason, it figures to be a short night for each. That’s because managers Rob Thomson and Torey Lovullo will be aggressive in using their bullpens in this winner-take-all affair, and that includes perhaps using their rotation aces in relief roles. All hands on deck, as the saying goes.
The D-backs wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno both singled in the first inning against Suárez, and Carroll came around to score on a Christian Walker groundout. The Phillies tied the game in the second inning as Alec Bohm hit his first home run of the postseason, a solo shot to make it 1-1. Bohm scored again in the fourth inning after drawing a walk, as Bryson Stott’s RBI double made it 2-1.
We at CBS Sports will be here to provide live updates, highlights, and commentary as the Game 7 action unfolds on Tuesday night.
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D-backs tie up
Carroll singles up the middle. He is 3 for 3 tonight after having three hits in Games 1-6 combined. It’s 2-2 in the fifth.
Huge strikeout
Suárez gets Marte fishing for a curveball below the zone. Marte is 0 for 3 with three strikeouts tonight. D-backs still have a runner at second with two outs, Carroll hitting.
Jeff Hoffman is working on a complete game in the bullpen. He’s warmed up in every inning since the second.
File that one away
Brandon Pfaadt strikes out Johan Rojas to leave the bases loaded. It was a chance for the Phillies to break the game open and instead they left three on base. It could loom large down the road.
Phillies take the lead, leave bags full
The Phillies are up 2-1 but had a chance to do more damage against Pfaadt. Bryson Stott was on second with one out and might’ve been able to score on J.T. Realmuto’s single, but he misread the ball off the bat and thought third baseman Emmanuel Rivera was going to corral it. Still, Stott was on third with one out, but Nick Castellanos struck out. Johan Rojas then struck out with the bases loaded to end the threat. Sixteen swings and misses for Pfaadt, who is likely done after four innings.
Pfaadt escapes
Pretty non-competitive at-bat from Rojas. Minor miracle the D-backs got out of that down only 2-1.
This is a pretty sound way to win games:
This has to be Pfaadt’s last batter with Mantiply up and Schwarber on deck.
That was about as intentional as unintentional walks go. Clearly pitching around Marsh to get to Rojas. Bases loaded for Rojas.
Stott gives Phillies lead
With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth and Alec Bohm on first, Bryson Stott stepped up with an RBI double to give Philly the lead:
Stott came in with just a .542 OPS for the series, but he came up big in a big spot against Brandon Pfaadt’s fastball. That 2-1 lead translates to a 75.2% chance for the Phillies to win Game 7 and advance to the World Series for a second straight year.
Big strikeout for Pfaadt. Castellanos is 0 for his last 21.
Joe Mantiply is, in fact, up in the Arizona bullpen.
Stott doubles in Bohm
The at-bats have been very good this inning. Gotta get the bullpen working. It’s 2-1 Phillies.
Alec Bohm righting the ship?
The Phillies’ third baseman has barely been an offensive blip for them lately. Tonight, he has a home run and a walk, following two hits last night. That has to feel good
Harper hit a rope right at Pham, then Bohm walked. There’s some movement in the D-backs’ bullpen.
My hunch is Suárez will face Carroll a third time, then they’ll go to a righty for all those righty hitters. Carroll is four batters away.
Getting four innings out of Suaréz has to be considered a win for the Phillies, especially given how things started for him.
Pfaadt impressive
The leadoff single is stranded. Pfaadt got some help with a generous low strike call to retire Kyle Schwarber, but he still worked out of a possible jam.
Play small ball, get small results
Schwarber strikes out when a sinker below the zone was called strike three, and Trea Turner breaks his bats and grounds out. Marsh is stranded.
Leadoff single for Marsh
Johan Rojas to the plate but the top of the order is after him. Possible trouble spot for Arizona.
Harper’s brief college career
Was just reading up on Bryce Harper’s year at the College of Southern Nevada. He got his GED as a junior so he could enter the MLB draft a year earlier than he would have had he graduated high school. He was a 17-year-old playing against college kids. From Wikipedia:
An advantage for Harper in his eventual transition to his MLB career was that the SWAC, like MLB, uses wooden bats in conference play. In 66 games, he hit 31 home runs with 98 RBIs, hitting .443 with a .526 OBP, and a .987 SLG. Harper’s 31 home runs in 2010 broke the school’s previous record of 12, and he was named the 2010 SWAC Player of the Year.
Would be a good crossover.
The Phillies had Corbin Carroll picked off there, but Harper’s throw to second was high and Stott had to jump, and couldn’t get the tag down in time. Carroll’s first stolen base of the series.
Suaréz has faced 10 batters thus far. Hard to imagine that Thomson lets him face more than 18 in this one.
One run allowed and 30 pitches thrown for the two starters through two innings.
I share this mostly because Amos Willingham is an outstanding name.
Alec Bohm ties the game with a home run
There’s no truth to the rumor that if you looked up “he’s due” in a glossary of baseball terms that you’d see a headshot of Alec Bohm, but he was struggling mightily heading into Game 7. After posting a 108 OPS+, 20 homers and 97 RBI in the regular season, Bohm entered the game hitting .233/.327/.302 with no homers in his 12 playoff games. He rectified that error with a game-tying shot to lead off the second.
That tied the game, 1-1, and it had to be a relief for the Phillies fans in attendance after watching the Diamondbacks lead nearly all of Game 6.
That was also the first run Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt has given up in the series. He threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 3.
Bohm bomb
It’s 1-1. He rewards Rob Thomson for sticking with him in the cleanup spot.
Dayn, I chuckled out loud at that.
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