Bryce Harper's late home run beats Padres, sends Phillies to World Series

PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper hit a two-run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the host Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 to capture the National League Championship Series in five games Sunday. Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in two runs and J.T. Realmuto had two hits for the Phillies, who advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Kyle Schwarber drew three walks. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler allowed three hits and two runs to go along with eight strikeouts and no walks in six-plus innings. Jose Alvarado (1-0) earned the win and Ranger Suarez, normally a starter, recorded the final two outs for the save. Austin Nola flied out to right for the final out with runners on second and third. Juan Soto hit a home run and Josh Bell added an RBI double for the Padres. Padres starter Yu Darvish tossed six-plus innings and gave up four hits and two runs with five strikeouts and three walks. Robert Suarez (0-1), who allowed the homer to Harper, took the loss. Harper also singled in the second inning and extended his postseason hitting streak to 10 games, tying a franchise mark set by Lenny Dykstra in 1993. In the third, Schwarber walked with two outs and stole second. After being initially called out, the Phillies challenged and the decision was reversed. Hoskins then laced a 3-0 pitch into the left-field seats for a 2-0 lead. The Padres closed within 2-1 in the fourth when Soto launched a solo homer to right-center for the Padres' first hit. Wheeler retired the Padres in order in the sixth capped by consecutive strikeouts of Soto and Manny Machado to end the inning. Jake Cronenworth singled to open the seventh and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Seranthony Dominguez. Bell then hit an RBI double to right to tie the game. The Padres went ahead 3-2 on consecutive wild pitches by Dominguez as the field conditions worsened with rain. With runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh, Hoskins flied out to right. --By Andy Jasner, Field Level Media