After a split in the first two games, a hugely important Game 3 is on tap for Friday night between the Padres and Phillies. Hopefully the teams enjoyed the luxuries of modern travel on their off day, because it is the last one that they will get in this series. If this series were to go seven games, the teams would play five straight days, including the five-hour and 40-minute flight from Philadelphia to San Diego following Game 5 on Sunday.
This is a big swing game at 7:37 p.m. ET featuring Ranger Suarez and Joe Musgrove on a day when the ALCS takes a break for the one and only time in the duration of that series.
It had to be a long flight back to the Keystone State for the Phillies, who squandered a 4-0 lead and ultimately lost by an 8-5 count. Philadelphia scored four in the second against Blake Snell on some batted ball luck, a ball lost in the sun and a few well-timed rockets, but the Padres quickly answered with two solo homers of their own and then scored five runs without a homer in the fifth.
Manager Rob Thomson made his first major misstep by going to Brad Hand instead of one of his other relievers (Jose Alvarado?) in the fifth. The damage had already been done, as Aaron Nola allowed four hits and four runs before recording the second out of the inning, but Hand came in and hit the first guy he faced, followed by two singles that plated three runs.