Clash of the Coasts: Phillies Set to Square Off Against the Dodgers
The Phillies will enter their toughest matchup of the 2025 season so far with a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies enter the matchup riding high with a record of 5-1 and coming off a recent sweep of the Rockies. In that series, the Phillies limited the Rockies to only three runs and produced 14 runs of their own, highlighted by J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Edmundo Sosa. As for the Dodgers, they are one of two teams that are left undefeated on the season with a perfect record of 8-0. The Dodgers come into the series off three straight sweeps over the Cubs, Tigers, and Braves and don’t look to stop there based on the talent on their roster. The two teams are among some of the best in the MLB, so the series could be a potential preview for a playoff matchup later in the season. As for now, will it be the Phillies to knock out the undefeated Dodgers, or will they stay undefeated on the season?
Friday 4/4 – 6:45 p.m. EDT
In the first matchup between the two teams, it will be Jesus Luzardo pitching for the Phillies against Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers. For Luzardo, he arrives in Philadelphia this season and looks to be a big addition to a dominant rotation. In his first action this season against the Nationals, he struck 11 batters out in 5.1 innings of work while only allowing two runs. As for Yamamoto, he was the starter for the Dodgers in their first game against the Cubs in Japan and their second game against the Tigers. In the two matchups, Yamamoto pitched five innings in both games and earned a 2.70 ERA. However, he has strikeouts among those two starts. The key for the Phillies in this first game is to start early offensively, something that they have not done this season up to this point. In the first six games, the Phillies have only scored five runs off starting pitchers, which is something that they cannot afford to do against a powerful team like the Dodgers.
Saturday 4/5 – 4:05 p.m. EDT
In the second game of the series, the pitching duel will be between Aaron Nola for the Phillies and Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers. Sasaki arrived with the Dodgers this offseason in a big move, following the likes of Yamamoto to come to Los Angeles. So far this season, Sasaki has appeared in two games and has struggled at times, especially against the Tigers, where he was only in the game for 1.2 innings. Overall, Sasaki has only pitched a combined 4.2 innings in his two starts, earning himself a 5.79 ERA. Like Sasaki, Nola has only seen one appearance this season and struggled. In a 5-1 loss to the Nationals, Nola gave up five runs in 5.1 innings of work, however, striking out eight batters. When Nola is at the top of his game, he can be one of the best pitchers in the MLB, but he has struggled with being consistent as of late. With the lineup that the Dodgers have featuring players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, Nola will need to be at his best, or else it will be a tough result for the Phillies.
Sunday 4/6 – 1:35 p.m. EDT
For the series finale, the matchup will feature Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez against the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow. Since coming to the big leagues, Sanchez has served as an underrated piece for the Phillies rotation. Just last season, Sanchez earned a 3.32 ERA and was talked about as a potential dark horse for the NL Cy Young. In his first start this season, he proved that it could become a real thing, as he struck out seven Rockies in 5.1 innings of work while only giving up one run. As for Glasnow, he arrived at the Dodgers last season, where he performed well with a 9-6 record and a 3.49 ERA, but he looks to be even better for 2025. So far this season, Glasnow has only appeared in one game so far, however, he was shut down in that performance. In five innings of work, Glasnow gave up only two hits while striking out eight en route to a shutout performance.
Both teams enter the matchup with hot offenses and star-studded pitchers, but the factor for both teams has been their late-game offense. For the Dodgers, they still have an undefeated record, but that took some late-game heroics. This season, the Dodgers have three comeback wins, including a walk-off win in only eight games played, showcasing their clutch ability. The Phillies have a similar story where they have not scored first all season but still end up with a 5-1 record. As mentioned before, the Phillies have struggled against starting pitchers, so the late-game offense is as much of a factor as it is for the Dodgers. Both teams will hope to make it deep into the season and potentially meet again, but for now, it’s a battle of the coasts in Philadelphia.
