Despite Series Finale Loss to Dodgers, Phillies Show They Can ‘compete With the Best Teams in the League'

BOX SCORE

In the end, things reverted to form: The Dodgers won and the Phillies lost.

The Dodgers are headed to the playoffs, the Phillies to who-knows-where.

Los Angeles scored twice in the seventh inning Thursday afternoon to beat the Phils, 5-4, and salvage the finale of a four-game series (see observations).

The Dodgers, the majors' best team at 97-56, lowered to one their magic number for clinching their fifth straight NL West championship. The Phils, baseball's second-worst team at 61-92, were left with a lovely parting gift: hope.

"I think it's a good lesson," J.P. Crawford, the rookie shortstop-turned-third baseman, said of the series as a whole. "It showed us, or showed me, we can compete with the best teams in the league. Just can't wait to see what next year has in store for us."

Crawford, the 16th overall pick in 2013, drew three walks in four plate appearances and fielded eight chances flawlessly, at least four of which could be described as moderately difficult.

In addition, Mark Leiter Jr. pitched six strong innings, Rhys Hoskins did another Rhys Hoskins thing - i.e., hit a two-run double in the fifth - and Nick Williams launched a two-run homer.

So it was that the Phillies finished the homestand with a 7-3 record. They have won eight of their last 12, and are 32-34 since the All-Star break, after going 29-58 beforehand.

There are those who question how much it means for an also-ran to excel in September, when the pressure is off. It would appear that Phillies manager Pete Mackanin is not among those people. He mentioned in particular how valuable it is for his young relievers to face teams in the thick of the race.

"To get this kind of experience is worth a lot," he said. "It's a big part of this year."

One of those relievers, Ricardo Pinto, faltered Thursday, allowing those two seventh-inning runs to take the loss. But Leiter, who had pitched to a 9.39 ERA in three previous September starts, allowed just one earned run on five hits over his six innings of work. He struck out three and walked one.

So it's one for his résumé going forward. And he said a strong finish to the season - the Phils have nine games left - is "important for everybody."

"I don't know if it's more important for us than other teams," he said, "but you want to finish strong and start strong. Those are the goals. That's baseball. You're going to have some ups and downs, and to take a series is a good thing."

Crawford, called up from Triple A Lehigh Valley on Sept. 5, hit .200 without a walk in his first six major-league games. In his last nine, he is slashing .296/.474/.481, with 10 walks and seven strikeouts in 38 plate appearances.

"Just a matter of getting my feet settled down," he said, "and just being comfortable in the box."

"It's good to see," Mackanin said. "He was advertised as someone who controls the strike zone and he's proven that he can do that. Walk's as good as a hit - the old saying. He keeps innings alive and he doesn't expand the strike zone, he makes the pitcher get him out and he'll take a walk, which is important."

Speaking generally about such an approach (and not about Crawford in particular), Mackanin only had one small reservation.

"One of the problems with a guy who walks too often is you'd like him to be a little more aggressive at times," he said, "but in general it's good to see."

Crawford made his eighth start at third base, and while he doesn't possess the power bat normally required of someone who plays the position, he certainly looks like he can hold his own with the glove.

"There's not really much transition," he said. "I'm just going over there, reacting, catching the ball, throwing the ball."

If nothing else, he gives the Phillies a possible alternative to Maikel Franco, who has struggled all year.

And if nothing else, the team as a whole has shown there is some reason for hope.

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