LOS ANGELES -- Brandon Marsh is in the hunt for a batting title amid a breakout season.
He's gone from a platoon player to one of the Phillies' most consistent hitters -- or so it seemed.
Though Marsh has mostly stepped into an everyday role in Philadelphia's outfield of late, he hasn't yet earned a full green light against left-handed pitchers. That was apparent in Friday night's 4-3 win over the Dodgers when Marsh was called back to the dugout for pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa in the sixth inning, arguably the biggest moment of the game.
With the bases loaded, one out and the Phillies trailing by a run, interim manager Don Mattingly elected to send Sosa to the plate against left-handed reliever Alex Vesia.
Sosa struck out on four pitches -- all of which were well out of the zone. Alec Bohm grounded out one batter later to end the threat.
The decision backfired in the moment ... but ultimately paid major dividends.
Two innings later, with the Phillies trailing 3-2 with one on and two outs, Sosa stepped to the plate against another southpaw reliever in Tanner Scott. After swinging at two pitches above the zone, Sosa laid off a breaking ball in the dirt.
When Scott came back with a fastball over the heart of the plate, Sosa did not miss his chance. He smashed a go-ahead two-run homer to left field, dropping his bat in one fluid motion.
Sosa looked toward his dugout briefly, then took a few moments to admire the ball in flight before finally breaking into his home run trot.
It was a much-needed swing for a Phillies team that hadn't had much going on Saturday night after having already fallen flat in Friday's series opener.
It also helped erase a strange play in the seventh inning that resulted in what seemed at the time to be a pivotal Dodgers' insurance run.
With the Dodgers leading 2-1, Andy Pages appeared to slide around an attempted tag from catcher J.T. Realmuto on Mookie Betts' single to right field. The Phillies quickly challenged the play, and while there was no obvious evidence that Realmuto had tagged Pages, it also appeared as if Pages missed the plate.
However, since Realmuto never tagged Pages and the Phillies did not appeal that the runner missed the plate prior to challenging the play, it was irrelevant whether Pages did or did not touch the plate.
Fortunately, Sosa's swing turned it all into much ado about nothing.