Muncy's two-run homer powers Dodgers past Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers waited through an hour and 20-minute rain delay Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Then they waited another four innings for a breakthrough.

When it finally came, it came off the bat of the player who has become their late-game lifeline.

Max Muncy launched a go-ahead two-run home run to straightaway center field in the fourth inning, lifting the Dodgers to a tense 2-1 victory over the Phillies. One week after delivering another decisive homer in a 2-1 win against the Yankees, Muncy once again supplied all the offense the Dodgers would need.

The blast, his 19th of the season, scored Andy Pages and etched another milestone into his Dodgers career. Muncy's 228th home run in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform tied Ron Cey for second-most in franchise history since the team moved west, trailing only Eric Karros' 270.

On a night when offense was nearly impossible to find, Muncy delivered the one swing that mattered.

The Dodgers certainly needed it.

Facing Zack Wheeler, one of the best right-handers, the Dodgers struggled to generate consistent offense. Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, Tommy Edman and Alex Call combined to go 0-for-12, while the Dodgers managed just enough traffic to keep the pressure on before Muncy finally broke through.

Earlier in the game, it appeared the Dodgers had tied the score. Shohei Ohtani singled and aggressively tried stretching it into a double, only to be thrown out at second base before Eliezer Alfonzo touched home plate. Instead of tying the game, the inning ended with a costly baserunning mistake that loomed large for much of the night.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Muncy erased it with one swing.

The offensive heroics overshadowed another outstanding outing from Justin Wrobleski, who continues to emerge as one of the Dodgers' most reliable starters.

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park.

Exactly one week after pitching on the same mound during the All-Star Game, Wrobleski returned to Citizens Bank Park and looked every bit as dominant.

The left-hander surrendered an RBI single to Brandon Marsh in the first inning, then completely settled in. He finished with 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while walking one and striking out seven.

His ERA dropped to 2.62 after another quality start, his 12th of the season.

While his fastball velocity was slightly lower than usual, Wrobleski still generated 11 swings and misses. He paired it effectively with his slider, continuing a remarkable season that has quietly placed him among the National League leaders in innings per start.

If there is an under-the-radar success story on the Dodgers' roster this season, Wrobleski has made a compelling case to be at the top of that list.

The drama, however, wasn't over.

Tasked with recording a five-out save, Tanner Scott found himself on the ropes in the ninth.

After allowing a leadoff single and a double, the Phillies had runners on second and third with one out and appeared poised to steal the game.

Instead, the Dodgers escaped with one of the strangest game-ending plays of the season.

A ground ball to third base caught both Phillies baserunners caught in no-man's land. The Dodgers flawlessly executed a 5-2-6-4 fielder's choice double play, erasing both runners and ending the game in stunning fashion before the Phillies could even bring the tying run home.

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't conventional. But it perfectly capped a night where almost nothing came easy.

After sitting through a lengthy rain delay, enduring offensive frustrations and surviving late-inning chaos, the Dodgers walked away with another signature victory, thanks once again to Muncy.

The Dodgers will now look to secure the series on Wednesday when Eric Lauer takes the mound against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola.