LOS ANGELES — In the biggest moment of the Phillies' biggest series in at least a month, Matt Strahm decided to try something new.
He was facing National League MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani with a three-run lead, two on and two outs in the seventh inning. It was the third Strahm-Ohtani matchup since July 10 and Strahm beat him both times last month with sliders that resulted in a strikeout and groundout.
On a 1-1 count to Ohtani, it wasn't the fastball or slider Strahm turned to, it was a 90 mph cutter — the first Strahm has thrown to a left-handed hitter since spring training 2023, when he was trying to deepen his mix of pitches in a transition from relieving to starting.
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Ohtani swung through it before working the count full and flying out on a slider just off the outside corner that was too close to take.
Crisis averted. Lead maintained. The Phillies went on to win, 6-2, to even their series with the Dodgers, clinch the head-to-head matchup for the season and give themselves a chance Wednesday night to end a streak of six straight series losses.
"The last one I threw was last spring training to Oneil Cruz and he hit it about 470 feet foul," Strahm said.
So what made the seventh inning against the most dangerous hitter in baseball the right time to try it again?
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"I trust J.T. (Realmuto)," he said.
Relieving Cristopher Sanchez, Strahm popped up Nick Ahmed and struck out Kevin Kiermaier leading into the Ohtani at-bat. The first and only slider he threw Ohtani was the final pitch of a full count.
And for the third time in a month, he won the battle.
"Just thinking along with J.T. there, I can just feel, sense that he's looking for my fastball up," Strahm said. "That is my bread and butter and (Ohtani's) very good at hitting those. I kinda went to my 1B and tried to stick one down-and-away.
"I watched Sanchy get him inside all three times and J.T. uses my strengths and my deception. It just sets everything up and J.T.'s unbelievable at doing his homework."
The Phillies pounded out 14 hits, hit two homers, stole three bases and added crucial insurance in the top of the ninth to win for the second time in three games. It's a small step in the right direction for a team that entered Tuesday with 14 losses in 19 games.
Edmundo Sosa drove in three runs, Kyle Schwarber hit a towering homer off the foul pole in right field, Bryce Harper singled twice, Nick Castellanos did the same and Alec Bohm went 3-for-5.
"It would be nice to get a winning streak going, would feel a lot better about that," Strahm said. "This game is really hard and none of it matters unless we do what we need to do at the end."
The Phillies made things slightly easier for themselves by beating the Dodgers at least once this week. If the teams finish the regular season with the same record, the Phils own the tiebreaker.
"That's a good thing, really good club over there," manager Rob Thomson said. "That can be huge coming down the stretch."