PHILADELPHIA — Jean Segura He played 11 seasons in the majors, made two All-Star teams and hit .300 three times, but it wasn’t quite an inning like the fourth inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night.
Playing in his first postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman dropped the shortstop throw Bryson Stotta double play that could have turned an inning-ending run into a tying run for the San Diego Padres.
In the bottom of the inning, however, he redeemed himself with a two-hit, two-run, two-run homer to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead in a game they would hold on to win 4-2. Download series 2-1.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to make a mistake,” Segura said. “That’s the play I’ve probably made 3,000 times in my life, but for some reason I missed it. As a player, you never put your head down. Just keep it up, keep playing the game because you are. knowing how the game is going to end. Maybe that play will carry you through the game.”
Segura, who made a nice diving stop on the pitch earlier in the game, would add a great diving second play to rob the quick pitch. Ha-Seong Kim of a hit with two outs and a runner on base to end the seventh. He clapped his hand through the air and kicked his leg in a loud display of emotion.
“I’m fed up with it,” Segura said. “I don’t know how to explain that, but it’s like Goku, the little Goku, like something, like a fire inside my body. Like I just want to get 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’s error, the Phillies had a meeting at the mound with the starter Soldier Suarezwho would get the win with five solid innings.
The first medal Rhys Hoskin I wasn’t surprised Segura bounced back from the error.
“He’s been a 10, 11-year pro and he’s enjoying and enjoying every second of this because he’s stayed this long and competed this long, working his tail off for 15-16 straight seasons , probably, so, no, it’s not surprising. all,” Hoskins said. “Plus, how many big hits have we seen him get, right? He also had the opportunity to make some really nice plays in the field. The first thing he said when we went to the mound after he dropped the ball was, ‘Manager, give me another one.’ That’s just the kind of confidence he has in himself.”
The game ended with some controversy in the top of the ninth inning. After Josh Bell they managed to hit a base against the Phillies closer Serantony Dominguez — looking to complete his second two-inning outing of the season — third baseman Todd Tichenor steps up Jurickson’s profile on swing check 3-2.
Profar, who had already turned his bat and started to trot to first base, squatted down in disbelief and started walking towards Tichenor, knocking off his helmet and then kicking him. Home plate umpire Ted Barrett ejected Profar from the game.
“I thought I didn’t go and it should have been a walk,” Profar said, claiming he wasn’t even really swinging, just trying to get out of a backdoor slide. “I didn’t have a very good chance to see it, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t go. The bat might have been ahead, but I was just getting out of the way. I didn’t go, I didn’t. swing.”
He said he was not worried about a possible suspension.
“No chance, man. MLB doesn’t suspend people for that. We play a game, and we play with emotion. We don’t play soft. We play to win and I play with emotion,” Profar said.
If Profar had walked, the Padres would have had momentum on their side and pressured Dominguez with runners on first and second and nobody out. Instead, the final two winners, Trent Grisham and How to Austin, went down a pop-up and strike out. Dominguez ended up throwing 34 pitches in two innings, the second-highest total of his season, and recorded the Phillies’ first two-inning save in the postseason since Tug McGraw in 1980.
He has now pitched 6⅓ innings last season, allowing just two hits with 13 strikeouts and no walks.
For Saturday night’s crucial Game 4, both managers turn to their No. 1 starters. 4 — Mike Clevinger for the Padres and Bailey Falter for the Phillies, who pulled the task over Noah Syndergaard. Clevinger struggled in his one postseason start against the Dodgers in the division series, allowing six hits and five runs in 2⅔ innings. This starts after a 6.52 ERA in six starts in September.
He is battling a sore knee but was able to throw a 35-pitch bullpen Thursday for the first time in a month.
“We have our ups and downs,” Clevinger said after Game 3. “Some weeks are good, some weeks are bad, some weeks the knee doesn’t want to do it and lately it’s been kind of bad. a lot towards the. And then finally last week, it was really exciting.”
Still, the Padres didn’t use any of their top relievers — Nick Martinez, Luis Garcia, Robert Suarez and Josh Hader — in Game 3, so Melvin will have a full bullpen at his disposal on Saturday.
“I’m going until Bob comes and tells me I can’t go anymore,” said Clevinger.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he will have to wait and see if Dominguez is available for Game 4. The right-hander is coming off Tommy John surgery, and the Phillies have used him sparingly all season.
“We’ll have to check in on Seranthony,” Thomson said. “That’s the most pitches 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.”
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