Live updates, analysis: Astros create distance as Jose Abreu uncorks 3-run HR
Written by I Dig SportsIt's a two-game Thursday in the league championship series as the 2023 MLB playoffs roll on.
The Arizona Diamondbacks got a big win at home following a rough start to the NLCS, as Ketel Marte walked it off for the 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3. Meanwhile, in the ALCS, will the Houston Astros even the series after a big Game 3 win in Arlington?
ESPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield break down where both series stand going into Thursday's games, and we have all the action covered with live updates and takeaways from Texas and Arizona as the games play out.
Key links: Full playoffs schedule and results
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Live updates | Takeaways
Live updates
Takeaways
Arizona Diamondbacks 2, Philadelphia Phillies 1: All it takes is one game. That's what the Arizona Diamondbacks told themselves Thursday. The Philadelphia Phillies looked unbeatable. They were a machine, constructed to run roughshod through the postseason. And even in a game where the Phillies' offense struggled against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, their own starter, Ranger Suarez, was matching him zero for zero. But Arizona didn't cave. It answered the Phillies' seventh-inning run with one of its own, and then came the ninth. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases, and Ketel Marte whacked a single off Craig Kimbrel, and the sold-out crowd at Chase Field went bonkers for the Diamondbacks saving their season.
Next is Game 4 -- a wild card. The Diamondbacks, without a proper starter, are going full bullpen game. The Phillies will either go with Taijuan Walker or Cristopher Sanchez, each of whom last pitched Sept. 30. It's as winnable a game as the Diamondbacks are going to have from here, and after knocking out a pair of division winners in Milwaukee and Los Angeles, doubting them anymore is inadvisable. -- Jeff Passan