NLDS preview: Phillies-Dodgers has potential to be best series of postseason

When the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers last met, it was mid-September, and the Phillies were on the cusp of clinching their second straight National League East title.

They did so on Sept. 15 with a 6-5 defeat of L.A. in extra innings after closer Jhoan Duran allowed a game-tying solo shot off the bat of outfielder Andy Pages in the bottom of the ninth. As they’ve done all season, however, the Phillies battled back.

On Sept. 16, the Phillies were no-hit for five innings against Shohei Ohtani and quickly jumped on reliever Justin Wrobleski once Ohtani was lifted from the game. The Dodgers then tied the game up in the eighth inning, and backup catcher Rafael Marchan responded with a three-run home run in the ninth en route to a 9-6 victory.

In the final game of the three-game set on Sept. 17, Blake Snell shut down the Phillies' offense while Jesus Luzardo allowed home runs to Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in a 5-0 Dodgers win. 

It was apparent at the time that the thrilling matchup was a potential preview of the National League Division Series. As expected, Los Angeles punched its ticket to the NLDS via a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in the NL wild-card series. 

Shohei Ohtani and Cristopher Sanchez will face off in Game 1

The first game of the series between the two juggernauts is sure to deliver, as it will be Ohtani vs. Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sanchez on the mound on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. 

And that's just the beginning of the star power we're set to see in this series. While the Dodgers boast Ohtani, Freeman, Snell, Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Phillies have Sanchez, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner.

Since 2022, the Phillies have played in 34 postseason games — the most in MLB — and the Dodgers have appeared in 25, but the two teams hadn't yet met in October. The last time the two teams faced each other in the playoffs was in 2008 and 2009, in the NLCS, with Philadelphia winning each time.

Phillies won the regular-season series vs. Dodgers

The Phillies have also had recent success against the Dodgers, going 4-2 against them in the regular season. Moreover, Philadelphia is 8-4 against L.A. at Citizens Bank Park since 2022, while the Dodgers have gone 10-15 against them in the same span overall.

That said, this series is anyone's for the taking. It has the potential to be the best, most electric and star-studded of the postseason. The reigning-champion Dodgers aim to defend their title, while the veteran Phillies look to bring a parade back to Broad Street.