Explained by the philosopher Bueller (like Ferris, not Buehler), baseball moves very quickly. A good example: A team’s number of magic can range from 13 to 1 in six days.
Then, imagine how much will happen in 162 days.
That's how long it's been since the Phillies and the Dodgers got together. It was April 6, and the Phillies won the series after Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow in 1977 like Burt Hooton (Google IT, Kids).
»Read More: Kyle Schwarber's bet on his own payoff. How he did it can also increase his value – even DH.
Five months later, they will renew their three-day acquaintances at Dodger Stadium, and the situation is different. To name just a few:
-
Phillies’ best pitcher Zack Wheeler, who removed a blood clot from his shoulder last month, is waiting for surgery next week to undergo thoracic outlet syndrome.
-
Shohei Ohtani will be pitching for the Dodgers again after Tommy John Elbow surgery and will start her first career against the Phillies Tuesday night.
-
The Phillies don’t have star shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) and third baseman Alec Bohm (shoulder), but have a dominant close-up (Jhoan Duran) and Spunky Center Fielder (Harrison Bader). The Dodgers have no catcher Will Smith (Hand) or orders from the bullpen.
But, this is one thing that hasn't changed: the Phillies and the Dodgers have the roster of the most star in the national league. As October approaches, their brighter brighter.
The bets were high this week, not because defending the NL East champion and the Dodgers (84-65) attempt to avoid the NL West Challenge from the Padres was a win.
This week is about the playoff position. The No. 2 seed in the NL field – accompanied by the sinister universal cards – in the game, the Phillies surpassed the Dodgers with a 4.5-game lead.
“We still want the best record if it's there,” said manager Rob Thomson.
»Read More: The Phillies should win the Trea Turner this season. But which player will they have in the playoffs?
But if neither the Phillies nor the Dodgers caught the league-leading winemaker (91-59), the Coastal Titans could clash in division rounds. At home, at home, with the first two games and the fifth game at home, the Phillies and the Dodgers have the best and third-best records in baseball, respectively, which will certainly help.
“I feel like every time we go against each other, we have some good series,” said Kyle Schwarber of Ohtani, who led 52-49 in the game, who is the NL home run king. “It’s always back and forth, some very intense games. Small things have to do with teams like this.
“It will be nice to get there. We know the mission ahead.”
We will follow three storylines:
The Philadelphia's Left and Freeman's Ohtani
When the Phillies called Buehler and made a six-player spin, Aaron Nola, who could have lined up, faced the Dodgers.
Instead, they went with three left-handed starters.
Maybe this is a preview of the Division series rotation. Maybe everything will be reorganized again. But Nola's battle with the Royals on Sunday only strengthened Thomson, along with Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo, followed the starter Cristopher Sánchez in the first game.
»Read More: The Jhoan Duran effect is real, and Phillies hopes he can provide a precedent
The Dodgers' roster is balanced. Of their seven best bats, there are three bats left-handed (Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Munchy) and four right-handed (Smith, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages). But overall, they performed much better (.748) compared to the right-server (.772 OPS).
Freeman, in particular, smashed everyone almost equally. But Munchy rarely starts with the left. Ohtani's 11-1 action against left-handed starters was .878 in April's April series in Philly and 1.053 against the right.
It will be interesting to see if Sánchez, Suárez and Luzardo can close Sho Time this week.
Cowpentry
Prior to the trade deadline, the Philadelphians’ relief guys ranked 24th in the ERA’s Grand Slams and ranked 16th (22.2%) with strikeout rate. Since then, they have been ranked tenth in the ERA (3.78) and tied for seventh with three-point shooting percentage (25.1%).
Call it the Duran effect.
The Phillies also signed David Robertson as a free agent in July. But when they acquired Duran, they finally gave Thomson an elite and brought orders to the bullpen.
“Just know who got the ball in ninth, then we took a little time,” left-click Matt Strahm said on a recent episode of the Inquirer's Baseball Show. “I got the analytical aspect of baseball, but I always thought the character would have a huge impact. Because closer is just a different breed. They know how to get out of that corner when they are backing off.
“It's different, the last three games. I don't think it's hard for you to find them on your computer.”
»Read more: Nick Castellanos of the Philadelphia
The Dodgers are discovering this.
During the offseason, they piled up bullpens, signed All-Stars Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, and brought back Blake Treinen. Scott and Yates have been struggling. Michael Kopech recently returned from knee surgery, but Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Gavin Stone and others were all out of the year. They switched Brock Stewart on the deadline and he was injured.
It makes manager Dave Roberts try to piece it together.
Can the Dodgers be super?
When the Dodgers came to town in April, they compared the greatest team of all time with an 8-0 record.
Five months later, their pace was 91 wins.
Therefore, the 2025 Dodgers will not be the Yankees of 1998. But, in winning six of seven games, maybe they mimicked the 2,000 Yankees, with the defending champions often appearing boring in the regular season before dominating in October.
»Read More: Starting April: Bring the Dodgers, the superb ones that are good for baseball
“I don't know,” Yankee Dynasty manager Joe Torre said Sunday. “They have suffered a lot of injuries, especially to the pitchers. You can't end the game without pitching. But they have some quality people. Their offense is scary. Their offense is better than ours, no doubt.
“When you win before, you know to win. But you can't stop appreciating, 'Look at what I did, because you lose very quickly.”