PHILADELPHIA — A postseason showdown between the Dodgers and Phillies has felt inevitable for the past few seasons.
Now, after the Dodgers bowed out in the National League Division Series in 2023 and the Phillies did the same in ‘24, the matchup will finally come to fruition when the two NL powerhouses meet in the 2025 NLDS.
Both clubs are loaded with superstars, headlined by NL MVP front-runners Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers and Kyle Schwarber for the Phillies. Beyond that, L.A. has another pair of former MVPs and World Series champions in Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, while Philadelphia will counter with two-time MVP Bryce Harper and 2025 NL batting champion Trea Turner.
This matchup also features the two winningest teams in the Majors over the past few years. Since the start of 2023, the Dodgers lead all teams with 304 wins (including the postseason), and the Phillies are second with 290.
Of course, one of those victories for Los Angeles was the World Series clincher just last season. In fact, the Dodgers have won two of the past five World Series, while the Phillies are searching for their first title since 2008.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 1 of this star-studded NLDS:
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 1 will be on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:38 p.m. ET/3:38 p.m. PT on TBS, truTV and HBO Max. All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: RHP Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA)
Ohtani is making his long-awaited postseason pitching debut. The two-way superstar has been a different pitcher than the one he was before undergoing a second major surgery on his right elbow, but he has been just as dominant, ending the season not having allowed a run in his last 16 2/3 innings.
Midway through September, Ohtani tossed five hitless innings against the Phillies. The bullpen lost control out of that game after he was done on the mound, but the Dodgers are no longer placing any restrictions on the length of Ohtani’s outings. For all intents and purposes, he is considered a normal starting pitcher now.
Phillies: LHP Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA)
With Zack Wheeler sidelined for the postseason, the Game 1 nod goes to Sánchez, who emerged as an ace-caliber pitcher for the Phillies this season. The left-hander continued his remarkable evolution over the past few seasons, going from a first-time All-Star last year to a legitimate Cy Young candidate this year. Among NL pitchers, Sánchez ranked second in innings (202), third in ERA (2.50), fourth in WHIP (1.06) and fifth in strikeouts (212).
What might the starting lineups look like?
Dodgers: Not long ago, the Dodgers faced a trio of Phillies left-handers — Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo — and handled them well. Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman should present a formidable top four. Tommy Edman, who is typically a better hitter from the right-hand side but has been dealing with lingering ankle discomfort, could return to the lineup, one of the smaller tweaks that could happen at the bottom of the order.
Phillies: Turner will slot into the leadoff spot, followed by Schwarber and Harper. Beyond that, Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh figure to start in the corner outfield spots with the Dodgers starting a right-hander in Ohtani. Manager Rob Thomson could opt to mix up the order for Nos. 5-9, but these figure to be the nine starters.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Dodgers: The question of who will pitch the ninth inning on any given night is a loaded one, as veteran arms such as Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen have struggled this season. Treinen looked better in the NL Wild Card Series, and Roki Sasaki emerged as a potential ninth-inning option with an electric outing to cap off the Dodgers’ two-game sweep of the Reds. Clayton Kershaw will be back on the roster and available out of the ‘pen, and Tyler Glasnow will also be a relief option in Game 1, which lines him up to start a potential Game 4.
Phillies: Jhoan Duran, who has been lights out since being acquired at the Trade Deadline, is the unquestioned closer for the Phillies. As for how they’ll bridge the gap from Sánchez to Duran, the Phils will likely deploy their two setup men — left-hander Matt Strahm and right-hander Orion Kerkering — in the seventh and eighth innings. The order in which they are used could depend on potential matchups based on where they are in the lineup. Leverage spots earlier in the game figure to fall on righty David Robertson and lefty Tanner Banks, who has thrived at entering with runners on base and ending the threat. It will also be interesting to see what role, if any, the Phillies have in store for starters Aaron Nola and Walker Buehler.
Any injuries of note?
Dodgers: The team is hopeful that Will Smith, who is dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand, will be available to catch at some point in the series. For the time being, though, he seems more likely to be used as a pinch-hitter. Edman will have to continue to manage his right ankle, which landed him on the IL twice earlier this year.
Phillies: The biggest injury for the Phillies is obviously Wheeler, who will miss the postseason after undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23 in St. Louis. Beyond that, Turner was the next biggest question mark after sustaining a strained right hamstring on Sept. 7 that put him on the IL for three weeks. He returned for the regular-season finale on Sunday, but it remains to be seen how, if at all, the injury and downtime will impact him in the postseason.
Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Betts finished off the regular season with an impressive turnaround in his final two months and carried his momentum into the Wild Card Series, going 6-for-9 with three doubles. Kiké Hernández, the Dodgers’ version of Mr. October, also recorded multiple hits in each Wild Card Series game.
Meanwhile, Pages is hitless in nine at-bats this postseason. Muncy has also had a slow start (1-for-7) after dealing with a lower body issue that he said affected his swing in the final week of the regular season.
Phillies: Bohm went 17-for-37 (.459) with five extra-base hits (including two home runs) over his final nine games of the regular season. Marsh hit .338 (23-for-68) with 11 XBH and 13 RBIs in September. Stott hit .313 (25-for-80) with four homers in September. Bader hit .341 (45-for-132) with 15 XBH over his final 35 games.
On the other end of the spectrum, Realmuto hit just .205 (15-for-73) in September and Harper hit just .215 (20-for-93) with a .739 OPS over his final 25 games.
Anything else fans might want to know?
