MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-16
3. Matt Beaty, 63 percent
Both closers in Wednesday’s Phillies-Dodgers game had a bad night. The result was a thrilling finish, but hardly an endorsement for the idea of a highly paid closer.
At Citizens Bank Park, the home-standing Phillies seized early command of the game, scoring six times in the first two innings off Walker Buehler. The Dodgers, however, don’t fall that easily. Fourth inning home runs by Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock closed the deficit to 6-4, and Joc Pederson’s home run leading off the fifth made it 6-5.
It remained 6-5 when Phillies closer Hector Neris got the ball to start the ninth.
In his third season as the team’s primary closer, Neris has already piled up 18 saves, and looks lie a lock to surpass his career-high of 26.
He did not help himself in that direction Wednesday. Neris issued a 3-2 walk to the leadoff hitter, Max Muncy, then Pollock dropped a parachute single behind shortstop that sent Muncy to second.
Neris fanned Corey Seager for the inning’s first out and stared down pinch hitter Matt Beaty. In limited duty the Dodger rookie has developed a reputation as a clutch hitter, batting .307 with four home runs but 21 RBIs in just 118 plate appearances. Beaty took a first-pitch ball and then got aggressive, lifting a home run into the seats in right-center field. That hit flipped the score to 8-6 Dodgers and left Los Angeles with a 91 percent chance at victory. Until…