LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading back to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) after a stunning and chaotic 2-1 walk-off victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in an 11-inning thriller on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. The dramatic win in Game 4 sealed the best-of-five National League Division Series (NLDS) for the Dodgers, 3-1, advancing them to their second consecutive NLCS berth.
The decisive play came in the bottom of the 11th, marking a memorable Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason debut for Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, who scored the game-winning run on a costly Phillies error.
Pitching Duel Sends Game to Extras
Game 4 was a classic postseason pitchers’ duel, with both starting pitchers holding the opposition in check. Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow was exceptional, tossing six shutout innings, allowing only two hits and striking out eight. The bullpen continued the strong performance, with Japanese rookie sensation Roki Sasaki following Glasnow and delivering three hitless innings of relief, effectively shutting down the heart of the Phillies' lineup and keeping the 1-1 tie intact through the 10th. Alex Vesia ultimately earned the win, pitching a scoreless 11th.
The Phillies finally broke the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh inning when Nick Castellanos hit an RBI double off reliever Emmet Sheehan, scoring J.T. Realmuto. However, the Dodgers immediately responded in the bottom of the frame. After loading the bases, Mookie Betts drew a clutch walk-in run off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, forcing home pinch-runner Justin Dean to tie the game 1-1.
Hyeseong Kim's Debut Decides the Series
The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Tommy Edman singled to left field, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts immediately inserted the speedy Hyeseong Kim as a pinch-runner—a pivotal move that paid off spectacularly.
Kim, who had been on the postseason roster for both the NL Wild Card Series and the NLDS but had yet to see action, made his debut his most impactful play of the season. Max Muncy followed with a two-out single to center field, advancing Kim to third base. After a walk to Enrique Hernández loaded the bases, rookie Andy Pages hit a weak, broken-bat grounder back to the mound.
In a moment of high pressure, Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering fielded the ball cleanly but made a frantic, errant throw toward home plate instead of making the easier toss to first base for the third out. The throw sailed wide of catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing a hustling Kim Hye-seong to slide across the plate with the walk-off, series-clinching run.
"I was surprised he threw it home," Kim said through a translator after the game. "I just ran as hard as I could."
Dodgers players erupted from the dugout to mob Kim near home plate, celebrating a dramatic end to a tense series. The play marked only the second postseason series in MLB history to end on a walk-off error, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Looking Ahead to the NLCS
The victory sends the defending World Series champion Dodgers to the NLCS, where they will face the winner of the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.
While the Dodgers' pitching staff—including Glasnow, Sasaki, and Vesia—was outstanding, some of the team's top stars struggled offensively in Game 4. Shohei Ohtani went hitless for the second consecutive game, though Teoscar Hernández did manage two hits. Ultimately, it was the depth of the roster and the manager's crucial decision to use speed off the bench that secured the hard-fought victory.
The Dodgers now get a brief rest before Game 1 of the NLCS, scheduled for Monday. Can the Dodgers’ pitching continue its dominance against the next opponent, or will their star-studded lineup need to find its rhythm to secure another trip to the World Series?
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