The Philadelphia Phillies are one win away from returning to the World Series.

Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto each hit home runs, Zack Wheeler pitched seven strong innings and the Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 Saturday to take a 3-2 NLCS lead.

Philadelphia bounced back from losses in Games 3 and 4 with their sixth multi-homer game of this postseason, and Wheeler won a battle of aces against Arizona’s Zac Gallen.

The Phillies jumped on Gallen for two runs in the first, courtesy of a Bryson Stott RBI single and Harper swiping home on a double-steal call.

Harper and Schwarber stayed red hot with solo shots off Gallen in the sixth to expand the lead to 4-0.

Schwarber’s home run was his fifth of the series and was the 20th of his postseason career, pulling him into a tie for fourth all-time with Derek Jeter.

Harper reached base three times and scored three runs, and last year’s NLCS MVP is batting .343 with a 1.282 OPS this postseason.

Arizona cut the lead to 4-1 in the seventh when Game 4 hero Alek Thomas took Wheeler deep, but Realmuto added insurance with his two-run blast off Luis Frias in the eighth.

Wheeler allowed one run and six hits in seven innings while striking out eight and lowering his career postseason ERA to 2.48.

With a healthy cushion late, the Phillies were able to rest key relievers Jose Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel.

After a travel day Sunday, Aaron Nola is slated to start Monday at home as the Phillies look to repeat as National League champions. Merrill Kelly will take the bump for Arizona, hoping to extend the Diamondbacks’ season.

 

Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was one of the notable omissions from the United States' 26-man World Cup squad confirmed by head coach Gregg Berhalter on Wednesday.

Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, Juventus' Weston McKennie, Milan's Sergino Dest and Leeds United pair Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams were all included in the squad which is in Group B alongside Wales, England and Iran.

Steffen, who is on loan at Championship club Middlesbrough from City, missed out with Matt Turner, Sean Johnson and Ethan Horvath preferred as the three goalkeepers.

Fulham defender Tim Ream along with Turkey-based forward Haji Wright have also been included, while exciting 19-year-old striker Ricardo Pepi has missed out, along with Paul Arriola and Jordan Pefok.

"Final roster decisions are always difficult, and we appreciate everyone's contributions who helped us get to this point," Berhalter said. "We believe we have a talented group, a strong team spirit, and one that is ready to compete."

This year's event marks USA's return to the World Cup having failed to qualify for Russia 2018. Deandre Yedlin is the only member of their last World Cup squad from 2014 to be carried over in this group.

The United States face Wales in their opening Group B match on November 21, before taking on England and Iran.

USA squad: Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Sean Johnson (New York City), Matt Turner (Arsenal); Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Shaq Moore (Nashville), Tim Ream (Fulham), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville); Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders); Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Lille), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)

Manchester City have confirmed goalkeeper Zack Steffen has joined championship outfit Middlesbrough on a season-long loan.

The United States international has made 21 appearances and kept eight clean sheets for City in all competitions since joining in 2019, having previously been a regular starter for MLS side Columbus Crew.

Steffen made nine appearances for Pep Guardiola's team last season, beginning the campaign by starting a Community Shield loss to Leicester City, and ending it with a costly error in City's 3-2 FA Cup semi-final loss to Liverpool in April.

He was the main back-up to starting shot stopper Ederson at City. 

But with USA beginning their World Cup campaign against Wales on November 21 and Steffen facing competition from Arsenal's new signing Matt Turner, the 27-year-old hopes playing more regularly for Chris Wilder's side enables him to cement a starting spot in Qatar.

"It's a big coup for us, so I'm delighted we've brought Zack in," Boro boss Wilder said. "Everyone knows his situation, he needed to play because of the World Cup.

"He had an agreement with Man City, but he could have easily stayed there and sat comfortably as their number two. He wanted to go out and he's agreed to come here."

Steffen has 29 senior caps for his country, the last of which came in a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica in March, but he was not part of Gregg Berhalter's party for contests against Morocco, Uruguay, Grenada and El Salvador in June due to family reasons.

Middlesbrough begin their Championship campaign against West Bromwich Albion on July 30.

Manchester City's spirit against Liverpool cannot be questioned, according to Pep Guardiola, whose team exited the FA Cup on Saturday.

City went down 3-2 in their semi-final clash with the Reds at Wembley, as Jurgen Klopp's team took the bragging rights in this particular tussle and progressed to their 15th FA Cup final, albeit their first since 2012 (only Manchester United and Arsenal have appeared in the competition's showpiece match on more occasions).

Six days on from a thrilling 2-2 draw between City and Liverpool in the Premier League, a much-changed team from Guardiola found themselves 3-0 down at half-time.

Ibrahima Konate put Liverpool ahead early on and Sadio Mane doubled their tally in strange fashion when City's second-choice goalkeeper Zack Steffen made a blunder.

Mane's challenge on Steffen diverted the ball into the back of the net and the Liverpool forward got his second with a fine volley late in the first half.

Jack Grealish dragged City back into the contest and Bernardo Silva's goal set up some late tension, yet there would be no famous comeback.

Guardiola, though, could not fault the resolve of his team.

"Our momentum was there in the second half," he told BBC Sport.

"We had the chances to equalise. It was a difficult fixture because we came from somewhere like only we know where we came from, with games we had and the last five or six days away and people with the problems. The guys put in a lot of pride in the second half.

"We gave everything after a tough first half. For the first goal, the set pieces they are very, very strong. The second was an accident. Difficult to come back but they did it perfectly in the second half."

 

Asked if his team were feeling fatigued after a tough run of fixtures, Guardiola said: "It was not a question of tired. They were more tired in the first [half], football is not about the tiredness, it is about what you do and how it works and how you play.

"We finally have one or two days off. We know we have seven games and the Champions League, we are going to try to push and see what happens."

City have now lost four of their last five matches at Wembley, including three FA Cup semi-finals in the last three seasons, while they conceded three goals in the first half of a match for the first time since April 2018, when they also did so against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Steffen had to hold his hands up for Liverpool's second goal and arguably should have done better for their third.

The United States international's error for Mane's first effort was similar to a mistake made by team-mate Ederson in last week's clash with Liverpool, though the Brazilian got away with it on that occasion. 

"It was an accident," Guardiola said. "One of the strong points is try to play [out] and as a goalkeeper he has this quality.

"It was an accident and he will learn for the future. When the ball is there it can always happen. I have spoken with the team, not him personally, but he is strong."

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen has signed a new contract at Manchester City and immediately vowed to keep the pressure up on Ederson.

United States international Steffen has agreed terms on a new deal which will keep him with City until June 2025.

The 26-year-old joined City in July 2019 and spent the majority of the 2019-20 season on loan with Bundesliga club Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he kept two clean sheets in 17 appearances, conceding 36 goals and making 64 saves.

Since his return to City his appearances have largely been restricted to cup competitions and he was an ever-present in the side which won the EFL Cup last season.

He has had made two Premier League appearances for City, conceding one goal and keeping one clean sheet.

"This is a fantastic moment me – I am so happy to be committing my future to Manchester City," Steffen told City's website.

"In my opinion, this is the best team in world football, with the best manager and best coaching set-up. It's a privilege to be here and contribute to this team achieving its targets.

"I feel I learn every day and I have definitely improved as a goalkeeper since coming here. I contributed to our success last season, which was an amazing experience.

"I want to keep pushing Ederson every single day and take my chances when they arrive."

Steffen, who has been capped 24 times by his country and played in MLS for Columbus Crew, fits the profile of what City boss Pep Guardiola wants from a goalkeeper, according to director of Football Txiki Begiristain.

He added: "Zack is an excellent goalkeeper and a brilliant professional who brings so much to Pep's squad.

"He fits the blueprint of what a Manchester City goalkeeper should be. Not only is great with his hands, but he is also calm on the ball and provides outstanding distribution, which is a vital part of our style.

"This is a man who trains to an exceptionally high standard every single day. He always wants to learn and improve.

"Our coaching staff love having him here and we want to see him continue his development over the next years."

Pep Guardiola has suggested Raheem Sterling needs to rediscover his confidence if he is to usurp Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez from Manchester City's starting XI.

Sterling has been an important performer throughout the Guardiola era at the Etihad Stadium but has started just two of City's past eight games across all competitions.

He was in the XI for all three of England's World Cup qualifiers during the recent international break, scoring in a 5-0 win against San Marino.

Sterling started City's surprise Premier League defeat to Leeds United yet was back on the bench for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund, during which both Mahrez and Foden scored to seal a place in the last four.

"He's maybe the second or third player with the most minutes this season," the City boss told a media conference.

"The trust with Raheem is intact. He's only played less because Phil and Riyad are at the top level, scoring goals and being so decisive in the final third.

"The confidence, he has to have it. He has it from all of us, he has to have it because the quality is there. I cannot give the players confidence, he can have it for himself.

"Having confidence from me, for being selected, is completely the opposite. What we have done in these incredible years, with this amount of titles and records that went on, Raheem has been key.

"He was a key player and is a key player. But at this moment Phil is playing really good and Riyad is playing really good. That's the only reason. They know it. They know it and everybody plays a lot of minutes this season.

"Every day, people want to take what happened in the past and future. I could not care less. I don't care. I care about the training sessions, how you were, how you behave, about the body language, your mood, and then tomorrow, semi-final day, that's when you have to talk.

"We have excellent human beings, the relationship in the locker room in bad moments this season was fantastic and in good moments it's fantastic."

Meanwhile, Guardiola confirmed Zack Steffen will start against Chelsea ahead of first-choice goalkeeper Ederson.

The United States international has started all four of City's games in the FA Cup this season and Guardiola acknowledged it would not be fair on the 26-year-old to drop him for the clash with Thomas Tuchel's side.

"He's played really well in the FA Cup," Guardiola explained. "He's an international goalkeeper and when he has played he has played at a good level. He's training well, he deserves it. I am more than delighted to give him this opportunity."

Zack Steffen will make his Premier League debut for depleted Manchester City as their clash with Chelsea goes ahead despite a coronavirus outbreak.

Pep Guardiola is without six players for Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge, with the club's squad badly affected by COVID-19.

Eric Garcia was the latest to test positive on the day of the game, though the Spaniard was due to miss out through injury anyway.

Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus were confirmed to have the virus on Christmas Day, though Guardiola did not reveal the identities of the others to have returned positive tests.

But goalkeeper Ederson did confirm he is self-isolating, meaning 25-year-old United States international Steffen was picked to start between the posts, wirth Scott Carson as back-up.

Steffen signed for City in 2019 but spent last season on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf, meaning the game at Stamford Bridge is to be his Premier League bow, his four previous appearances this term coming in the EFL Cup and Champions League.

Benjamin Mendy has been picked among the substitutes despite being found in breach of social distancing rules on New Year's Eve, while Ferran Torres is absent from the visitors' travelling party.

Although Frank Lampard revealed on Friday that two Chelsea staff members had contracted coronavirus, their squad remains unaffected.

Lampard also played down the idea of Hakim Ziyech starting against City after an injury absence, however, the Morocco star was named in Chelsea's line-up.

Timo Werner also returns to the starting XI after being dropped for the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Kai Havertz remains among the substitutes.

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