PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer on the 13th pitch of an at-bat, connected later for another two-run drive and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2 Wednesday on a second straight rainy night.
The Phillies, who had an eight-game winning streak snapped Tuesday, fell into a tie for first place in the NL East with Atlanta's win over Cincinnati.
They could have more pressing concerns: All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto left in the first inning after he took two foul tips to his mask. Realmuto was checked on by team trainers but stayed in the game to catch the rest of the inning. Andrew Knapp pinch-hit for Realmuto, batting .268 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs, in the first and caught the rest of the game.
There was no immediate update on Realmuto’s condition.
A night after a rain delay wasted a superb outing from Aaron Nola, Phillies manager Joe Girardi tried to strategize against the weather and made a last-minute switch on the mound. He started reliever Connor Brogdon for an inning and brought in Hector Neris to pitch the second.
After a 53-minute rain delay, sure enough, scheduled starter Kyle Gibson took the bump.
The Phillies could have used more rain.
Bellinger fouled off six pitches in a row during his marathon at-bat against Gibson (8-4) in the fourth before lining a drive to left-center to break a scoreless tie. Dodgers starter David Price added an RBI double for his first extra-base hit of the season and made it 3-0.
Bellinger's ninth homer of the season gave the Dodgers an 8-2 lead in the ninth. He also struck out three times.
Price allowed Ronald Torreyes’ two-run single in the fourth and gave up five hits in four innings. Brusdar Graterol (3-0) tossed two scoreless innings of relief for the win.
The World Series champion Dodgers entered four games behind San Francisco in the NL West and would much rather win the division than face the prospect of a potential one-and-done wild-card game.
Though they can sweep the Phillies on Thursday, the Dodgers’ postseason road toughened a bit when they put star outfielder Mookie Betts on the injured list because of a sore right hip. He is batting .277 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs in 87 games.
“It makes it a little more difficult, certainly, when you take out a player like that,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But we have lots of talented players. Do guys in both clubhouses, all clubhouses, scoreboard watch this time of year? Absolutely.”
Roberts saw LA’s lead grow on the scoreboard in the seventh when first baseman Alex Bohm botched a grounder for an error to let in one run and Knapp was charged with a passed ball to give them another. They scored three times and made it 6-2.
Dodgers: RHP Edwin Uceta was activated from the 10-day injured list.
Phillies: Brogdon (right elbow) came off the 10-day IL. ... LHP Jose Alvarado (left shoulder) was placed on the 10-day IL and LHP Damon Jones was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies send LHP Ranger Suarez (5-3, 0.98 ERA) to the mound against the Dodgers. The Dodgers will likely start RHP Mitch White (0-0, 3.75 ERA) in a bullpen game.