Dodgers announce Game 1 starter vs. Phillies

Ohtani will be making his first-ever playoff start, with him unable to pitch last postseason after recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

The Dodgers come into the division series on a roll 

The Dodgers' offense exploded against the Reds, scoring 18 runs. Ohtani went 3-9 in the series with four RBI, while shortstop Mookie Betts was the star in Game 2, going 4-5 with three RBI and three doubles. 

The Dodgers also got incredible pitching from the top two guys in their rotation, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Snell threw seven innings of four-hit ball, allowing two earned runs with one walk and nine strikeouts in Game 1. Yamamoto dominated in Game 2, pitching 6.2 innings of four-hit ball, and allowing two runs (none earned) with two walks and nine strikeouts. These strong pitching performances will help the Dodgers when facing the Phillies' lineup. 

The Phillies have the Dodgers' number

This series between the Dodgers and the Phillies features the game's biggest stars, but the Dodgers have not done well against the Phillies this season or last. The Phillies have a combined 9-3 record against the Dodgers between 2024 and 2025, with a record of 5-1 at Citizens Bank Park and 4-2 at Dodger Stadium, per StatMuse. 

With the first two games played in Philadelphia, where the Phillies have the advantage of their rowdy crowd behind them, and their ace Cristopher Sanchez toeing the rubber, the Dodgers will need to jump on Sanchez early and silence the crowd if they want to start the series with a win.