LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Facing a potential stranglehold in their National League playoff series, the Philadelphia Phillies responded with a dominant performance fueled by Kyle Schwarber’s powerful bat and a lockdown pitching effort.

Schwarber launched two home runs and drove in three, while starter Ranger Suárez delivered five strong innings as the Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium to claw back into the best-of-seven series.

The victory, witnessed by a sold-out crowd of 53,689, cut the Dodgers’ series lead to 2-1. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday in Los Angeles.

The Phillies’ offense, which had been held in check during two losses in Philadelphia, erupted for 12 hits, with a three-run fourth inning and a five-run eighth inning breaking the game open. The Dodgers, who were installed as pregame favorites and projected to win by Interstat’s ELO system, managed only eight hits and could not capitalize on their early opportunities.

The game was a tense, pitcher-dominated affair through the first three innings. The Dodgers struck first in the bottom of the third when Tommy Edman lined a solo home run to left-center field off Suárez, giving the home team a brief 1-0 lead.

That advantage was short-lived. Schwarber answered emphatically in the top of the fourth, crushing a solo shot to right field off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto to tie the game. The Phillies were far from finished in the inning. Bryce Harper followed with a sharp single, and Alec Bohm sent a ground ball to center field that Andy Pages misplayed, allowing Harper to score all the way from first and Bohm to advance to third. Brandon Marsh then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Bohm to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

Suárez, now pitching with a lead, worked out of a jam in the bottom of the fourth. After walking Enrique Hernández and allowing a single to Max Muncy, he stranded both runners by getting Pages to pop out. Suárez earned the win, improving his record to 13-8 after allowing one earned run on five hits over five innings, striking out four.

Yamamoto took the loss, falling to 13-9. He was charged with three runs, two earned, on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The 3-1 score held until the top of the eighth, when the Phillies put the game out of reach with a devastating offensive outburst. J.T. Realmuto led off the inning by hammering a solo home run to left-center. After Max Kepler walked and Nick Castellanos reached on a fielding error by Muncy, Bryson Stott moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Trea Turner then delivered the critical blow, lining a single to right field that scored both Kepler and Castellanos.

With the score 6-1, Schwarber stepped to the plate again and delivered the final, crushing blow, launching his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to right field that also scored Turner. The blast capped a five-run inning and gave the Phillies an 8-1 lead.

The Dodgers bullpen, including Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen and Jack Dreyer, had provided scoreless relief before the eighth-inning collapse.

Philadelphia’s own bullpen was superb in preserving the lead. Aaron Nola followed Suárez with two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Tanner Banks recorded the final out of the ninth inning after the Dodgers mounted a minor threat.

Los Angeles scored a consolation run in the bottom of the ninth. After a walk and a single put runners on the corners, Edman collected his second RBI of the night with a soft ground ball single that scored Hernández. But with two runners on, Shohei Ohtani flew out to right field to end the game, which took 2 hours and 54 minutes to complete.

Beyond Schwarber’s heroics, Turner had a productive night, going 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Realmuto added two hits, including his solo homer. For the Dodgers, Edman was the lone consistent offensive threat, finishing 2 for 4 with a home run and both of the team’s RBIs.

The Phillies, who improved their season record to 97-68, will look to even the series on Thursday. The Dodgers, now 97-70, will aim to regain their momentum and move within one game of advancing to the next round. The total combined score of 10 runs went over the pregame over/under line of 8, defying the statistical projections that heavily favored the Dodgers.