NLDS Game 2 in Philadelphia had just about everything — dominant starting pitching, late-inning drama, and even an umpire scare, after Game 1 produced a historic start from Shohei Ohtani.
In the top of the eighth inning, with the Dodgers leading the Phillies 4–0 and no outs, Teoscar Hernandez attempted to stretch a base hit into a double.
Second-base umpire Mark Wegner banged out an emphatic “out” call on Hernandez’s slide, then briefly grabbed at his leg, appearing to tweak a hamstring as he hopped away from the bag. There was no immediate official update from MLB on his status. He remained on the field and the call stood after review. It comes after the MLB appointed its first female umpire this season.
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By then, the Dodgers had already cracked open a pitchers’ duel with a four-run seventh. Blake Snell spun six scoreless frames of one-hit, nine-strikeout ball, and Los Angeles finally broke through against Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo when Will Smith lined a two-run single and Ohtani added an RBI knock during the outburst.
Teoscar Hernandez also factored into that rally, as the Dodgers’ lineup flipped from quiet to opportunistic in a hurry.
Philadelphia answered late. The Phillies scratched a run in the eighth, then mounted a full-blown threat in the ninth. Nick Castellanos lashed a two-run double to cut the deficit to one and put the tying run aboard.
But Los Angeles’ bullpen pieced it together: after a rocky start to the inning, the Dodgers turned to Roki Sasaki, who induced the game-ending out for his second save of the series and a 4–3 win.
The victory gave L.A. a 2–0 edge in the best-of-five and a chance to sweep at home.
For much of the night, though, it was a study in precision. Snell dominated early; Luzardo retired 17 straight at one point before the seventh unraveled, a testament to how razor-thin the margin was until a few well-timed Dodgers swings.
Los Angeles also flashed crisp defense, enough to keep the Phillies’ stars mostly quiet and preserve the narrow edge when it mattered most.
As the series shifts west, the on-field subplot will be whether Philadelphia can solve the Dodgers’ starting pitching and late-inning mix.
But Game 2 will also be remembered for the snapshot at second base: a veteran umpire selling an out with gusto, a runner ruled down after review, and a ballpark holding its breath as the man in blue shook off what looked like a hamstring twinge before play continued.
For a night brimming with October intensity, even the calls came with a little extra strain.