PHILADELPHIA — The buzz would’ve been loud no matter who had pulled into the Citizens Bank Park for the National League Division Series.
But when it’s the reigning World Series winners, with their passel of international stars, the biggest of whom will take the mound to start Game 1, there’s a little extra in it.
Such was the scene-setting Friday ahead of Game 1 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Phillies, two of the last three teams to win the National League pennant and two of the favorites tipped to do so this year.
“Obviously any team you play in the postseason is going to be a challenge, and you’re going to be excited to play,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “But playing a team like this, in my opinion, they’re the epitome of what a major league team should be. They go out every year and try to win. Their ownership is awesome. Their front office is great. It’s an organization that the other teams look up to. And I see us as the same way.”
It’ll start with Saturday’s Game 1, a 6:38 p.m. first pitch between reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez, likely one the league’s Cy Young finalists. The collision of the two-time reigning NL East champion, in their fourth straight postseason, and the four-time NL West winner in the playoffs for a 13th consecutive season needs little additional billing.
“They are the world champions,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “And I think there’s a buzz every year that we come into this thing. Is there more this year? I don’t know, because we haven’t really dealt with anything yet. But as the series goes on, I think the buzz will increase. But I think both these clubs are really matched up well: good starting pitching, got a lot of thump in both lineups and very veteran groups.”
This is the first time the teams have met in the postseason since 2009 and the sixth time overall. The Phillies won that NLCS in five games, the same as the Matt Stairs-aided 2008 NLCS on the way to the world title. The Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NLCS in 1983 after losing in that round in 1977 and 1978.
The Phillies took two of three from the Dodgers way back in April at Citizens Bank Park, the team’s third series of the year. They clinched the division title in Los Angeles in September, winning the first two games Sept. 15 and 16 in wild, postseason-y fashion.
The second of those featured five no-hit innings from Ohtani, the superstar mowing down the Phillies with one walk, five strikeouts and 68 pitches in maybe his best performance of the season. He finished the regular season with three straight starts in which he didn’t allow an earned run over 14.2 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.87 over 47 innings and 14 starts.
“He was phenomenal,” Thomson said, saying there may be some advantage to see him since he’s been back from Tommy John surgery that prevented him from pitching in 2024. “It’s the combination of power and control, command, stuff. He was really good. He was pumping strikes and it was 98, 99. And the secondary pitches are all way above-average. So if he’s doing that, it’s a tough task.”
“I’m very glad that I was able to end the rehab progression at that moment,” Ohtani said, via a translator, on if that start felt like a watershed moment in his return. “Specifically about the postseason and facing the Phillies, they’re a really good team. With that being said, we’re coming up through the Wild Card side, so we’re in the position to be the challenger.”
Realmuto didn’t play that day, but sees some potential edge.
“He’s obviously going to be a challenge for us,” Realmuto said. “But I do think, hopefully seeing him a second time will help our guys.”
The Phillies will counter with a phenomenal pitcher of their own in Sanchez. Sanchez led the NL in WAR this year (8.0), going 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 202 innings over 32 starts. He’s solidified himself as the team’s No. 1 starter in the absence of Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet syndrome).
Sanchez was even better at home, with a 6-0 ERA and 1.94 ERA in 15 starts, opponents hitting just .200 against him. That’s better than the 2.21 ERA in 17 home starts he had last year. He gave up two runs in five innings of his Game 2 start against the Mets in the NLDS last year. He allowed four earned runs, including home runs to Kike Hernandez and Alex Call, in seven innings matching up with Ohtani in L.A.
Realmuto described Sanchez as having, “an aura of confidence about him,” in pregame meetings before starts, and Sanchez speaks glowingly about feeling more at comfortable pitching at home.
“I think it’s just fan support overall,” Sanchez said Friday. “And, also knowing every inch of this stadium. I think those are extra motivations and just the support that you get when you’re at home.”
The Dodgers do a little of everything. They scored 10 runs in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series behind five homers … then eight in Game 2 without a long ball.
In Game 1, Blake Snell went seven innings, allowing two earned runs, then the bullpen made it interesting with three runs allowed. Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed two unearned runs in 6.2 innings in Game 2 before the Reds threatened against the bullpen again.
Neither the Phillies nor the Dodgers have announced Game 2 starters. The Dodgers can bring back Snell on regular rest Monday, aided by the extra off day.
The series may come down to how quickly and efficiently the Phillies get into the Dodgers bullpen.
Dodgers starters this year compiled an ERA of 3.69, fifth-best in baseball. An injury-riddled bullpen was 21st in baseball with a 4.27 ERA (the same as the Phillies). The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA from Sept. 1 on was 4.90.
After cycling through different end-game options, they may have settled on 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki as their closer for the postseason.
Both teams are constructed similarly.
They are built around talented veteran corps: Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on one side; and Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber on the other.
Both have strong starting staffs, the Phillies second in ERA from starters this year and first in both innings pitched and WAR by long margin. Both have question marks in veteran bullpens.
“It’s a balance there,” Thomson said. “I think our goal, doesn’t matter who we’re facing, is to try to get the starter out of the game as soon as we can. So that’s really what our game plan is. I don’t think it’s a secret. We’ll try to do the best we can not be too passive.”
What may make the difference, Realmuto said, is simple execution in big moments.
“In my opinion, the talent is pretty evenly matched across both teams,” he said. “They’re extremely talented over in that clubhouse. And we obviously have confidence in the guys we have. The series is going to come down to who’s able to get the big hits in the big moments and command the strike zone, both pitching and hitting, and then not trying to do too much when the runners are on base and being able to shorten up, put the ball in play, find the holes.”
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