Full Breakdown
Phillies Lose to Dodgers on Costly Baserunning Error
7/23/2026, 5:34:16 AM
Game-Ending Baserunning Mishap
In the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Philadelphia Phillies fell 2–1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers after a chaotic 5-2-6-4 double play. With two outs and runners on second and third, pinch-runner Justin Crawford was caught in a rundown after Brandon Marsh’s weak grounder to third. Catcher J.T. Realmuto, who had just doubled to left, turned back toward second base, prompting Mookie Betts to tag Crawford out and then fire the ball to second baseman Tommy Edman for the second out. The double play ended the game and erased a potential winning rally.
How the Play Unfolded
Alec Bohm’s single opened the ninth, and Crawford replaced him as a pinch runner. After Edmundo Sosa struck out, Realmuto’s double moved Crawford to third. Marsh’s “squibber” to third set off the rundown; Crawford hesitated, and Realmuto’s retreat to second created the double-play opportunity. The Dodgers executed the sequence flawlessly, while the Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler, returning from an All-Star snub, had allowed two runs, struck out nine and walked none over seven innings.
Reactions from Players and Management
Realmuto took responsibility, describing the incident as “just a bad baserunning play, really.” “Just a bad baserunning play, really,” — T. Realmuto Interim manager Don Mattingly expressed confusion over the catcher’s decision, saying, “I don’t know what JT was thinking there, honestly, because he got to third.” “I don’t know what JT was thinking there, honestly, because he got to third,” — Don Mattingly, interim phillies manager Both indicated that the play was a “lack of judgment” and that Realmuto should have stayed in scoring position.
Implications for the Phillies
The loss drops the Phillies to a 56-46 record in a down season for Realmuto, who is batting .215 with seven home runs—well below his career .268 average. The defeat also follows a rain-delayed start that lasted 1 hour 20 minutes and a persistent drizzle that began in the third inning. Philadelphia will seek to rebound in the series finale against the Dodgers, scheduled for the following night.
