Harper, Schwarber launch Phils to 3-2 NLCS lead
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
PHOENIX — Slugging and running their way to within one victory of a return trip to the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday night in Game 5 of the NLCS to take a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6 is scheduled for Monday night in Philadelphia, where the Phillies are 6-0 this postseason.
“I think we’ll be in a good position,” Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, the winning pitcher Saturday, said after the game. “But we can’t think ahead too much. We have to play the game on Monday and get back to Philly, where we like to play.”
Slugger Bryce Harper set the tone for Game 5, stealing home in the first inning, then hitting a 444-foot home run in the sixth. He joined Randy Arozarena as the only players in postseason history to steal home and hit a home run in the same game.
“We’re going to be aggressive right here,” Harper said.” Bryson [Stott] had the green light. He went, and I just tried to make the best decision to get there and make it happen to score that run.”
It came after Kyle Schwarber had already crossed the plate with the game’s first run. Arizona starter Zac Gallen was more careful in the opening inning Saturday than he was in Game 1, when Schwarber and Harper homered off him. This time, Schwarber got to first on an infield single before Harper singled him to second and Stott’s single brought him home. That put runners on first and third with JT Realmuto at the plate.
That’s when Harper took off.
“I knew he was going to go,” Stott said of Harper. “It’s the postseason and Gallen is really good over there and you don’t know how many chances you’re going to get.”
Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno threw down to second as Harper took off for home. The throw back from shortstop Geraldo Perdomo short-hopped Moreno, who got barreled by Harper at the plate.
“Baseball play,” Harper said. “Big collision at the plate. I was making sure he was OK. Kind of the way he went down, I was making sure he was good and stable. Never want those moments or anybody to get hurt. But just a good position to put us in and be able to get up in that situation.”
Moreno stayed in the game after being attended to by the Diamondbacks’ training staff.
With the finesse part of their game over, the Phillies went to work on the slugging. Gallen kept them in the park until the sixth, when Schwarber destroyed a baseball, sending it 461 feet into the right-field stands. Two batters later, Harper left the yard as well, belting it 444 feet from home plate. The rout was on as Realmuto added a blast one inning later.
The homers helped trigger a bunch of milestones.
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The Phillies are the sixth team all-time with at least 15 homers and 15 stolen bases in a single postseason.
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With three home runs in Game 5, the Phillies have 23 home runs this postseason, the second-most all-time through 11 games of a postseason (24 by 2004 Astros).
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Schwarber is just the fifth player ever to reach 20 career postseason home runs. He got there in 63 games, the fastest in history.
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Harper and Schwarber have combined for 22 homers in the past two postseasons (11 each). That is the most combined homers by a duo over a two-year span in MLB playoff history.
The offense backed Wheeler, who once again dominated his postseason opposition. On a night when the Phillies’ bullpen wasn’t fully available, Wheeler pitched seven innings, giving up six hits while striking out eight and giving up one run — a solo shot by Alek Thomas.
Wheeler helped bring down the team’s starter ERA this postseason to 1.48, lowest all-time out of a rotation through the first 11 playoff games.
“I told him after the game, ‘You’re one of the best pitchers I’ve ever played with,'” Harper said of Wheeler. “I’ve played with a lot of good ones, and he’s easily top three.”
Wheeler appreciated the sentiment as well as the offensive support. Meanwhile, Schwarber downplayed his accomplishments, claiming he’ll “appreciate it” when he’s done playing baseball.
That doesn’t mean his teammates can’t enjoy his superhuman strength.
“He’s country strong,” Harper said. “It’s incredible. Just the way he goes and the way he swings. He uses that lower half so well. He drives through the ground. Whenever you’re able to put your feet in the ground and stay grounded, it’s incredible.”
Gallen was left wondering how exactly to shut down these Phillies. He challenged them early in Game 1, and that didn’t work out. On Saturday, he went more off-speed in the first inning and they still scored two runs. Later, he went back to the fastball, and two of them were blasted into the Chase Field crowd, who were subdued after two nights of exhilarating wins by the home team.
“The thing about Harper and Schwarber is, those guys are so intelligent,” Gallen said. “They’ve been around. You’ve got to hope you’re one step ahead of them. It’s hard. And them being able to leave the yard at any point is what makes it even harder.
“It’s wild. Solo homers don’t beat you, but a team that hits solo homers a lot, they tend to add up after a while.”
The Phillies have hit 10 home runs in this series alone and now return home with a one game cushion after getting a scare by the Diamondbacks in their building. Coming off losses in Games 3 and 4, Philadelphia got everything they wanted in a Game 5 win. Now they’re one game away from the Fall Classic.
“It was a great response,” Schwarber said.
The 150th running of the Preakness won’t have the fanfare of previous years.
There will be no Triple Crown on the line and no rematch of the 1-2 finishers in the Kentucky Derby after trainer Bill Mott elected to point Sovereignty toward the Belmont and bypass the Preakness.
Just three horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby will run in the Preakness on Saturday — Journalism, who finished second to Sovereignty, American Promise (16th) and Sandman (seventh). Nine horses will enter the race, including several newcomers to the Triple Crown trail.
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While a Kentucky Derby winner skipping the Preakness is a rarity over the history of the race, it’s become more common in recent years. Country House, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security was disqualified, was not entered into the race by Mott due to a cough. Other ailments ended his career early and he never raced again.
Rich Strike was not entered in the 2022 Preakness and neither was 2021 winner Mandaloun, who was not declared the official winner of the Kentucky Derby until Medina Spirit was officially disqualified after failing a postrace drug test.
The modern order of the Triple Crown races, with the Kentucky Derby first and the Belmont last, was established permanently in 1932, with some exceptions. Notable Kentucky Derby winners who skipped the second leg are: Grindstone (1996, career-ending injury), Spend a Buck (1985), Gato Del Sol (1982), Tomy Lee (1959), Swaps (1955), Determine (1954), Hill Gail (1952), Count Turf (1951) and Lawrin (1938).
This will be the final Preakness run at Pimlico for several years, as the 155-year-old track is set to undergo renovations for the next several years, including the replacement of the current grandstand for a smaller version. The Preakness will move to Laurel Park until renovations are complete.
Betting the Preakness
by Katherine Terrell
What’s the big draw now that the Kentucky Derby winner is out of the race? Journalism, who went off as the betting favorite in the race, gets a chance for redemption.
While putting Journalism on top of our Kentucky Derby bets didn’t quite pan out, he’s certainly going to be a worthy, and heavy, favorite in this race. Don’t take his second-place finish as a knock on his talent — he’s the most accomplished horse in this field.
What about Sandman, who drew significant attention in the Kentucky Derby due to his name? Sandman was named after the Metallica Song “Enter Sandman,” and the band recently posted a video cheering him on ahead of the Preakness.
Sandman’s trainer Mark Casse said the horse had tender feet going into his last race, causing him to sport glue-on shoes, but he has since been switched back to normal horseshoes. Sandman is a closer, meaning he would need a fast pace up front to be able to pass tiring horses and win this race.
Some of the more intriguing newcomers are Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen trainee Clever Again. Both are lightly raced, and bettors who are looking for better odds than Journalism provides might hope one of these two horses takes a step forward.
That’s the same situation as Gosger, who is 20-1 on the morning line but recently won the Grade III Lexington Stakes. He will also have to take a step forward or hope Journalism runs poorly off two weeks rest.
Journalism can sit back off the pace and hope the leaders get into a speed duel, a possibility with a lot of speed in the race. Either way, he’ll be a tough favorite to bet.
About the above chart: A Beyer number is a ratings system for speed during races. Some think horses need at least one race where they run a 95 Beyer number or over to be competitive in the Derby. Many of these horses have races where they’ve run over a 100 Beyer number or better.
The logical bet: Journalism to win (8-5) but will require a large bet to get a decent return.
The slightly better odds bet: Clever Again to win (5-1)
Two suggested bets:
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Exacta box: Journalism/Clever Again
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Trifecta: Journalism over Clever Again over River Thames, Gosger.
Best plays
by Anita Marks
No. 2 Journalism (8-5) is favored and rightfully so. He ran a great race in the Derby, but Sovereignty was just the better horse that day. With such a small field (nine horses), along with his pedigree, Journalism should dominate.
Other horses I fancy in the Preakness:
Clever Again (5-1) is a unique animal with a lot of talent. I believe he is the second-best horse in the race. Son of American Pharaoh — who won the Triple Crown — and trained by Steve Asmussen, an excellent trainer. He is super fast, is in great form and is training well.
Goal Oriented (6-1): A Bob Baffert horse. and will have one of the best jockeys on his back in Flavien Prat. He has the speed to come out of the No. 1 post and will be sent hard. Son of Not This Time and was the winner of a 1 1/16-mile race on the Kentucky Derby undercard. This will be his third race.
Preakness Plays:
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To win or place: Clever Again
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Exacta box: Goal Oriented, Journalism, Clever Again
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