How Phillies beat Padres 4-3 to advance to the World Series: Live updates and reaction

Zack Wheeler faced just one batter in the top of the seventh, and it was Jake Cronenworth, who lined a hit just under Jean Segura’s diving, outstretched glove. That meant it was bullpen time for the Phillies, who brought in their most reliable fireman, Seranthony Domínguez. In the past, going to the bullpen meant doom for the Phillies. In 2022, however, it means …

Uh, it apparently still means occasional doom. Domínguez allowed a wild pitch before a game-tying double to Josh Bell, the first batter he faced. Before you start blaming him, though, note that a slippery baseball seems like a raw deal. He recovered to strike out Brandon Drury for the first out of the inning, though, and he looked even better with a perfectly placed 98-mph fastball to strike out Ha-Seong Kim for the second out.

Another wild pitch sent Bell to third, though, and another wild pitch got him home. Three wild pitches in the inning, all almost certainly affected by the rain. It’s like we’ve always said: The baseball gods are Padres fans. It’s why everything has gone their way from the moment they came into the league.

Except, hold up, maybe that’s not true? Bryson Stott led off the bottom of the seventh with a slicing line-drive double, which knocked Yu Darvish out of the game. The Phillies had the tying run in scoring position, with Segura, Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber coming up.

After Schwarber was issued an intentional free pass on a 3-0 count with two outs, postseason demigod Rhys Hoskins hit a fly ball to right field for the final out.

The Padres are leading, 3-2, and they need six more outs to keep the season alive and play another game at Petco Park.

(Photo: Bill Streicher / USA Today)