PHILADELPHIA — It took Jean Segura 11 years to reach the postseason, so there was no way a couple of miscues would bother him.
Despite an error and also being picked off first base, Segura produced a clutch two-run single to help propel the Phillies past the San Diego Padres 4-2 on Friday, giving Philadelphia a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.
“As a player, you have to learn from your mistakes,” Segura said. “You have to keep it up and continue to play the game.”
That he did.
Segura also provided a couple of stellar defensive plays to help offset the error.
“I like the pressure regardless,” Segura said. “I want to come through in those types of moments.”
Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff home run, Alec Bohm and Schwarber each had two hits and an RBI and Bryson Stott had two doubles for the Phillies, who will host Game 4 in the best-of-seven series on Saturday.
The early lead is something the Phillies have continued to emphasize.
“It’s huge,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “You want to get out in front and put pressure on the other club.”
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (1-0) tossed five innings and allowed two hits and two runs, one earned, to go along with three strikeouts and no walks.
Seranthony Dominguez pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the save. It was the first six-out postseason save for the Phillies since Tug McGraw accomplished the feat three times in the 1980 playoffs.
Jake Cronenworth led the Padres with two hits and an RBI while Brandon Drury also had two hits.
Despite the loss, the Padres took solace in the fact that they forced the Phillies to go deep in their relief corps.
“We got into their bullpen and that’s big with five straight games,” Drury said. “Now we can just focus on tomorrow.”
San Diego starter Joe Musgrove (1-1) gave up eight hits and four runs with five strikeouts and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
The Phillies quickly went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning when Schwarber launched a 3-2 pitch into the stands in right-center field.
Musgrove threw 24 pitches and walked two batters in the first but wriggled out of further trouble in the frame when Bryce Harper grounded into a double play before Nick Castellanos grounded out.
“I thought he pitched well,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said of Musgrove. “It was miraculous he got out of the first inning like he did.”
With a runner on first and one out in the San Diego second, Wil Myers ripped a shot to deep center. Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh covered a long distance, jumped and caught the ball in front of the fence.
In the fourth, San Diego’s Juan Soto was hit a pitch and advanced to third on a one-out single by Drury. Cronenworth hit a grounder to shortstop Stott, who flipped to Segura at second. However, Segura dropped the ball, allowing Soto to score the tying run.
Segura redeemed himself with a two-run single in the bottom of the inning for a 3-1 advantage.
The Padres closed within 3-2 in the fifth when Ha-Seong Kim hit an RBI groundout. Trent Grisham opened the inning by reaching second on a two-base error by first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
Bohm added an RBI double in the sixth for a 4-2 advantage.
Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar was ejected by plate umpire Ted Barrett after being called out on strikes for the first out in the ninth.
“Maybe the bat didn’t get out there,” Melvin said. “Close call. Tough one.”
–Andy Jasner, Field Level Media
