NLCS live update: Kyle Schwarber homers, Christopher Sanchez forgets outs for Phillies

Defense is winning so far at Chase Field in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series tonight.

Arizona took a 1-0 second-inning lead with an unearned run and then added another run in the third.

But Kyle Schwarber's home run to lead off the fourth has made it 2-1.

It was his 10th postseason homer for the Phillies, one shy of Jayson Werth's club record. It was his 19th overall, breaking Reggie Jackson's record for postseason homers by a left-handed batter.

Phillies starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez appeared to make a mental mistake -- forgetting how many outs there were -- as he fielded a grounder and threw out Lourdes Gurriel at first base on grounder in the second inning.

Christian Walker was at first base after reaching on Alex Bohm's throwing error. Second baseman Bryson Stott was waving to Sanchez to throw to second as he jogged toward first to make what he thought was the final out. After a passed ball moved Walker to third and a walk, Emmanuel Rivera singled in Walker.

Diamondbacks left-fielder Gurriel had made a leaping catch as he thumped into the wall to rob J.T. Realmuto on a deep drive ending the top of the second inning.

In the first inning, Joe Mantiply caught Trea Turner running on a pick-off attempt and he was thrown out at second base by first baseman Christian Walker.

Turner was 30-for-30 on stolen bases this season and had actually swiped 35 in a row dating back to last year with the Dodgers and 40 including this postseason.

Sanchez gets the nod

Sanchez ended up being more reliable than many may have expected since becoming the Phillies' fifth starter in mid-June. It was enough for manager Rob Thomson to anoint him the starter tonight.

He didn't last long, being lifted with one out after Ketel Marte's infield single, a wild pitch and Corbin Carroll's groundout that moved Marte to third in the third inning.

Jeff Hoffman came in to quell the rally. Gabriel Moreno singled to make it 2-0 but Hoffman retired the next five batters he faced through the fourth inning.

The Phillies lead the best-of-7 series two games to one.

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Depending on how long he sticks with Sanchez, Thomson could also summon Taijuan Walker, who like Sanchez hasn't pitched in the postseason yet, in a piggyback-type start.

Walker, a $72 million free agent signee before this season, did lead the Phillies in wins while going 15-6 with a 4.38 ERA. His lone career postseason start came with the Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS and it did not go well. He walked two and gave up four hits and four runs while lasting just one inning in an eventual 9-5 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Thomson will also likely dip into his bullpen, and said after Thursday's 2-1 loss in Game 3 that Orion Kerkering and Craig Kimbrel are also available despite pitching in that game.

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Kerkering allowed three hits and a run as Arizona tied it 1-1 in the seventh. Kimbrel walked two and allowed two hits, including Ketel Marte's game-winning single, in the ninth inning.

Control is Sanchez' greatest strength and he is coming off a strong outing in his last start, way back on Sept. 24 against the Mets. The 26-year-old lefty allowed two hits and struck out 10 in seven innings.

On the season, Sanchez went 3-5 with a 3.44 ERA and 99 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 99 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs or less in 15 of his 18 starts.

"Sanchez pitched very well for us ever he since he has come up and very consistent," Thomson said before tonight's game.

"He got an inning in New York at the end of the year. We had a two-inning sim game, both him and Taijuan, on the off day between series, and he threw the ball extremely well. Found the strike zone. Changeup was good. Changeup was excellent. Velocity was good. I just think he's pitching very well, and if he throws strikes and he has his changeup going, it's a good matchup."

Among those who also have faith in Sanchez is reliever Jose Alvarado, who said Sanchez is "like a brother to me." They met as Tampa Bay teammates before coming to the Phillies.

"A piece of advice that I always give him is that I remind him that he is ready," Alvarado said. "He is ready to compete. He is ready to show the type of pitcher that he is, what he is capable of.

"I don't want him to forget that. I tell him to keep his confidence up. He is showing good results, and we all trust him. We all have plenty of confidence in him."

Phillies pitchers have allowed just 15 runs in nine postseason games and have a 1.47 ERA. The starters' 11.60 strikeout-to-walk ration, .436 opponent OPS and 0.68 WHIP are each the best in MLB history through the first nine postseason games.

It'll be a bullpen game for Arizona, which started reliever Joe Mantiply. Luis Frias replaced him in the second inning and Kyle Nelson came on with one out in the third. They're facing a Phillies' lineup with no changes:

No BP, no regrets

The Phillies had just three hits in Thursday's loss, leading some to wonder if their decision not to take batting practice on the field and only swing in the cages played a role.

Thomson dispelled that notion Friday and had the facts to back it.

"We played here before, and we've hit here before," he said. "We typically don't hit on day games. We just hit in the cages, and we've had a lot of success with it.

"The last time we were here in June because of the West Coast and the different time zones, we didn't hit for four days while we were here, and we won three out of four. We then went to Oakland, and we didn't hit there and swept them."

The Phillies did take BP Friday.

"It was just something that myself and the trainers and strength and conditioning people have talked about and wanted to try to see if we can conserve some energy," Thomson said. "But now we have a 5 o'clock game tonight, which is really 8 o'clock for us, so we're kind of back on our normal schedule."

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies live updates vs. Arizona Diamondbacks in NLCS Game 4