Baseball’s Powerhouses Clash: Dodgers and Phillies Set for Weekend Showdown
Two of baseball’s elite teams square off this weekend when the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers (8-0) visit the Philadelphia Phillies (5-1) at Citizens Bank Park. These clubs posted the best records in baseball last season and look primed for another championship run in 2025.
"We’ve got a really good rotation. We’ve got a really good lineup. We’ve got a really good bullpen," Phillies manager Rob Thomson told Phillies Nation back in February when asked about the Dodgers’ splashy offseason. "So we’ll match up fine."
The three-game series features some of baseball’s most electric pitching matchups:
Friday, April 4 (6:45 p.m. ET): Jesús Luzardo vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Apple TV+)
Saturday, April 5 (4:05 p.m. ET): Aaron Nola vs. Roki Sasaki (NBC Sports Philly+, SportsNet LA, FS1)
Sunday, April 6 (1:35 p.m. ET): Cristopher Sánchez vs. Tyler Glasnow (NBC Sports Philly, SportsNet LA)
It’s a showcase of what might be baseball’s two best rotations. Sasaki has struggled with command in his first two MLB starts, walking a league-high nine batters in just 4â…” innings. Citizens Bank Park isn’t exactly the friendliest place for a rookie finding his footing, but few pitchers anywhere can match Sasaki’s raw talent.
Dodgers Making History
The Dodgers’ 8-0 start is the best ever by a defending World Series champion. Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off homer Wednesday pushed them past the 1933 Yankees (7-0) for the record.
It’s LA’s best season start since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers began 10-0. The last team to start 9-0 was the 2023 Tampa Bay Rays, who eventually tied the MLB record with 13 straight wins.
Freeman Sidelined for Series
The Dodgers will be without Freddie Freeman, last year’s World Series MVP. He landed on the injured list Thursday after hurting his ankle in a shower mishap.
It’s the same ankle that hampered Freeman throughout last year’s postseason run. He initially injured it stumbling through first base last September and had offseason surgery.
Enrique Hernández has been filling in at first base, with Max Muncy also available to play the position. Freeman is eligible to return next Thursday, but he’s definitely out for this weekend’s showdown.
Phillies’ Late-Inning Magic
Philadelphia’s offense has been bizarrely lopsided so far. They haven’t scored a single run in the first three innings of any game this season.
But from the sixth inning on? They’ve exploded for 23 runs in just six games.
The contrast between how they handle starters versus relievers is striking:
Against starters: .275/.296/.341, 1 HR, 4 BB, 30 K (143 PA)
Against relievers: .361/.511/.806, 8 HR, 21 BB, 16 K (94 PA)
Is this a real issue or just small sample size weirdness? Probably the latter, but the Phillies would surely prefer not playing from behind every night.
Dodgers’ Lefty Problems
The Dodgers’ lineup has struggled against left-handed pitching so far – something to watch with Luzardo and Sánchez on the mound for Philly this weekend.
Against righties: .252/.354/.521, 12 HR, 25 BB, 47 K (195 PA)
Against lefties: .198/.263/.430, 6 HR, 6 BB, 18 K (95 PA)
With right-handed sluggers like Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Will Smith in the lineup, this trend probably won’t last. But for now, it’s a potential advantage for Philadelphia.
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
One week into the season, it’s too early to know which hot starts will last and which slow starts are concerning. But some players are definitely seeing the ball better than others.
Dodgers’ Hot Bats:
- Will Smith: .450/.607/.650, 1 HR, 5 RBI
- Shohei Ohtani: .333/.459/.667, 3 HR, 3 RBI
- Michael Conforto: .368/.500/.737, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Smith leads the entire league in batting average and on-base percentage. Mookie Betts has also been crushing it (.300/.364/.750 with three homers) despite missing the Tokyo Series with an illness that cost him 25 pounds.
On the flip side, Hernández (.105/.100/.421) and Muncy (.120/.214/.200) are still searching for their groove.
Phillies’ Hot Bats:
- Kyle Schwarber: .308/.357/.808, 4 HR, 8 RBI
- Max Kepler: .278/.409/.556, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Brandon Marsh: .267/.421/.467, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Schwarber has been on a tear with four homers – the rest of the Phillies combined have just five. Bryson Stott is also off to a nice start (.278/.381/.556).
Bryce Harper has been decent but not spectacular (.269/.296/.423), while Trea Turner is getting on base but still looking for his first extra-base hit (.308/.400/.308). Edmundo Sosa has been terrific off the bench, hitting .600/.625/.867 in limited action while filling in for Turner during his back spasms.
The Phillies’ production has been more evenly distributed than the Dodgers’, with no regular hitting below Castellanos’ .238 or above Schwarber’s and Turner’s .308.
Prediction
L.A.’s perfect start comes to an end this weekend, with the Phillies taking two of three. Look for Philadelphia to win Friday and Sunday behind their lefty starters, while Sasaki delivers his best MLB outing yet on Saturday – going five innings with at least eight strikeouts to give the Dodgers their only win of the series.
