The Philadelphia Phillies had a shot to steal a win from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. Instead they blew it in one of the oddest endings to a game
The Phillies were down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth and ready to rally. Alec Bohm got things started with a single, and then was replaced by pinch-runner Justin Crawford.
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
Here’s how it ended. pic.twitter.com/BFDTDOvxzg
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 22, 2026
With one out, J.T. Realmuto doubled to left, moving Crawford to third and putting the tying and winning runners in scoring position after Edmundo Sosa struck out.
Then things went south. Brandon Marsh tapped an easy grounder to third and Crawford headed home, only to be stopped in a rundown between third and home.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy threw to catcher Dalton Rushing, who threw to shortstop Mookie Betts for the tag.
Meanwhile, Realmuto had progressed safely to third in the confusion, leaving the Phillies with a chance to still have runners on the corners and two outs.
He thought maybe Crawford would shake off the rundown somehow, so instead he whirled and raced back to second.
Betts caught Crawford and fired across the diamond to second baseman Tommy Edman, who tagged a fleeing Realmuto to finish the game.
Per ESPN, Realmuto later took ownership of the blunder, calling it a “lapse in judgment” and agreeing that there was no reason to vacate third base once Crawford was trapped in the rundown.
Zack Wheeler had a tough night to take the loss, allowing just one run in seven solid innings, but Max Muncy’s homer in the fourth inning proved to be the difference.
