Two of the best teams in the National League are facing off this weekend, and Game 1 of the series didn't disappoint.
The Philadelphia Phillies, now 6-1 on the young 2025 season, handed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers their first loss of the year Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, with the game ending on a bang-bang play and a little help from replay review.
Strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to end it for the @Phillies! pic.twitter.com/N3yzYgBtB8
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2025
The Dodgers nearly mounted another furious late-game comeback on a two-run homer from utility man Tommy Edman in the ninth inning but fell just short of sealing the deal. Their 8-0 start before Friday surpassed the 1933 New York Yankees for the longest undefeated streak to begin a season by a defending champion.
For the Phillies, left-hander Jesus Luzardo was nothing short of brilliant in his Philadelphia home debut, tossing seven scoreless innings against a vaunted Los Angeles lineup.
Jesus Luzardo vs. Dodgers
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) April 5, 2025
7 IP
0 ER
8 K
2 H
2 BB
Luzardo has 19 Ks through 2 starts.pic.twitter.com/KDy9ELeo6i
That's a formula for defeating the champions and an early statement made by Luzardo, who was acquired this past offseason in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
The Dodgers received a solid outing from their own starter, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched six shutout frames. However, a costly first inning throwing error that lead to a Phillies run to score ended up setting the tone for his team's eventual defeat.
With two more games left in this Phillies-Dodgers clash, we're sure to see more great baseball in what could be a potential playoff series preview.
More must-reads:
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani entered Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the precipice of another milestone. Ohtani had recorded 999 hits in his career, an impressive number considering he continued to hit while rehabbing after a pair of elbow surgeries and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He notched his 1,000th career hit in the third inning, belting a two-run homer off Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore. While that home run temporarily gave his team a 2-1 lead, the Dodgers' bullpen failed to hold on in the 5-3 loss. Ohtani has put together an impressive season as he slowly works himself back as a starting pitcher. He has posted a .276/.381/.606 batting line in 521 plate appearances, hitting 39 homers and 15 doubles while stealing 16 bases. Ohtani also has a 2.37 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 19 innings, striking out 25 batters with just five walks. His 1,000th hit is another milestone in a career that is on track to end in Cooperstown. The 2018 American League Rookie of the Year, Ohtani is a five-time All-Star and three-time MVP, joining Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He is one home run shy of his fourth season with 40 or more homers and is the only player in major league history to hit 50+ homers and steal 50+ bases in the same season. Ohtani's exploits on the mound have been equally impressive. He has reached the double-digit mark in wins twice and has struck out more than 150 batters in a season three times. Ohtani finished fourth in the 2022 AL Cy Young race after posting a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP over 166 innings, striking out 219 batters with 44 walks. It is sure to be one of the many milestones Ohtani reaches as his career continues.
In a summer dominated by LeBron James and Luka Doncic headlines, the Los Angeles Lakers may have quietly struck gold once again in the UDFA market, this time with former Villanova standout Eric Dixon. After initially agreeing to a two-way contract following the 2024–25 NBA Draft, Dixon’s path to the professional ranks was temporarily delayed due to injury, forcing him to miss Summer League. The Lakers, however, remained invested in the 24-year-old forward, eventually signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal, a move that keeps him in the pipeline and positions him as a potential breakout candidate through the G League. Dixon brings one of the most decorated resumes in college basketball. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward led all Division I scorers last season, averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting an impressive 40.7% from beyond the arc on 7.2 attempts per contest, a remarkable transformation for a player once seen as a traditional low-post presence. He concluded his five-year career at Villanova as the school’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,314 points and etching his name into Big East history. While concerns around his age and lateral quickness may have contributed to him being passed over in the draft, Dixon’s refined skill set and ability to stretch the floor make him a strong fit in today’s NBA. He delivered in big moments throughout the season, including a 38-point outburst against Maryland on Nov. 11, and consistently carried the offensive load for the Wildcats. With his Exhibit 10 deal, Dixon is expected to begin the season with the South Bay Lakers, where he’ll aim to prove he’s healthy and ready to make an immediate impact. If he performs as expected, a return to a two-way contract, and possibly NBA minutes, could be on the horizon. The Lakers have developed a reputation for identifying and nurturing overlooked talent, with Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso emerging as prime examples. Dixon, with his offensive versatility and physical readiness, could be next in line. In a loaded Western Conference, unearthing low-cost contributors is more important than ever. Dixon might just be the next hidden gem to emerge from the Lakers’ development pipeline.
Ennis Rakestraw will not play in 2025. The second-year corner was already known to be a candidate to miss time, but the Lions placed him on injured reserve Thursday. Only players released via an injury settlement are eligible to play after being moved to IR at this point in the offseason. Given his status as a 2024 second-round pick, that will obviously not be the case for Rakestraw. After what was essentially a redshirt rookie season, this news is a significant blow for team and player. Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently said Rakestraw was going to miss time due to a shoulder injury. Surgery took place on Thursday, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz notes the procedure was a success. That is of course only a small consolation considering the fact Rakestraw’s rehab process will cost him the entire campaign. The 23-year-old logged just 141 total snaps across eight games last season. A starting cornerback role was not in play since Detroit still has Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson in the fold and replaced Carlton Davis with D.J. Reed via free agency. Still, Rakestraw was in position to occupy a backup spot on the perimeter, so an injury to Arnold or Reed could have elevated him to first-team action. Now, the Lions’ secondary depth will be tested after the unit dealt with numerous injuries last season. Luq Barcoo and D.J. Miller were signed earlier this week. Veteran Avonte Maddox represents an experienced option amongst the team’s remaining backups, although he is best suited for slot and/or safety duties. Rock Ya-Sin has spent his entire career as a corner, but the Lions have tried him at safety this offseason. In the wake of Rakestraw’s injury, it will be interesting to see that plan changes and Ya-Sin’s attention turns back to the cornerback position. With nearly $48M in cap space, Detroit can easily afford a one-year deal amongst the remaining free agents at the CB spot. Asante Samuel Jr., Rasul Douglas and Kendall Fuller are some of the veterans still looking for a gig at this point in the offseason. With a vacancy in the secondary, it will be interesting to see if the Lions pursue a contract with any member of that trio or another cover man on the market.
Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin injury that she suffered in the final moments of a game against the Connecticut Sun. Given that this was the third soft tissue injury that caused Clark to miss time during this 2025 WNBA season, it was clear that Indiana was going to be cautious in bringing her back to action. And this has been proven by Clark not only not playing since that game, but the franchise still has not provided a clear update on when fans can expect No. 22 to return to the court. Indiana Fever Insider Speaks On Caitlin Clark Injury Few people outside of the Fever's organization would have a better idea about the status of Clark's recovery than IndyStar Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson. And Peterson got honest about what she has seen from Clark of late during an August 7 episode of IndyStar's Indiana Fever Insider Live podcast. "The most I know is what's already been reported, in the sense of [Clark] has been running up and down full speed. As far as I know, she hasn't come back to practice yet," Peterson said of Clark. "The last time I saw them in a practice capacity was on Tuesday. "Caitlin was there for the first couple minutes when everybody was just warming up, and then after they officially started shootaround, she left with a trainer to do some individual rehab, recovery work," Peterson continued. "She's participating in the half-court contests before each game, it seems like. But it doesn't look like she's doing drills with the team as of yet." ESPN's Holly Rowe Offers Clark Injury Update Peterson isn't the only insider who has spoken about Clark's injury of late, as ESPN reporter Holly Rowe said, "Stephanie White did give us a small update on Caitlin. That she has started some full-court running, some full-speed running, the last four or five days. Still not doing full basketball activities, but there has been some progress made," during the Fever's August 5 game. It's clear that Clark is making positive progress from her groin injury. However, given the recurring nature of these soft tissue injuries for No. 22 this season, combined with the Fever having played well when she has been sidelined to this point, it makes it likely that Indiana is going to continue to use caution in bringing Clark back on the court.
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