PHOENIX (AP) — Philadelphia spent most of the night taking advantage of Arizona’s bullpen moves, building a three-run lead by the seventh inning.
A bullpen meltdown of their own cost the Phillies a chance to take a commanding lead in the NL Championship Series.
Craig Kimbrel gave up three runs in the eighth inning, including two on pinch-hitter Alek Thomas' tying homer, and the Phillies lost 6-5 to the Diamondbacks on Friday night to tie the NLCS at 2-all.
A night after striking out 13 times in a 2-1 loss, the Phillies seemed to have the Diamondbacks right where they wanted.
Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer and Brandon Marsh followed with a run-scoring double to tie the game at 2. The Phillies scored two runs on an infield single and error in the sixth, and went up 5-2 on Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Then it all fell apart.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was criticized for using Orion Kerkering late in Game 3 after the rookie blew a 1-0 lead.
Thomson sent Kerkering back out in another critical situation in Game 4 and he again struggled, walking two — including Christian Walker with the bases loaded.
With his team leading 5-3, Thomson summoned Kimbrel for the eighth inning instead of waiting for the ninth.
Kimbrel, who had 23 saves in 28 chances during the regular season, struggled with his control before giving up the game-winning hit to Ketel Marte in the ninth inning on Thursday.
The right-hander again had trouble locating his pitches in Game 4.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the eighth with a double and Thomas followed with a two-run homer to tie it at 5-all. Kimbrel then gave up a two-out single to Marte and hit Corbin Carroll with a pitch before Gabriel Moreno drove in the go-ahead run with a single off José Alvarado.
Paul Sewald closed it out for the Diamondbacks in the ninth, leaving the Phillies searching for late-inning answers heading into Game 5 on Saturday.
The best-of-seven series will shift back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Monday.
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