For the Dodgers, they’ll have a chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead before the best-of-five series shifts back to Los Angeles. The Phillies, meanwhile, will be looking to even the series before taking that long cross-country flight.
Thanks to Sunday’s off-day, both teams will have not only an extra day to think about the crucial showdown but also more freedom in how each utilizes its bullpen come Monday night. The Phillies also expect to learn more on Sunday morning about Harrison Bader’s groin injury, which forced him to exit Game 1.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 2:
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2 is on Monday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET/3:08 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?
Snell delivered in his first postseason start as a Dodger, tossing seven innings of two-run ball against the Reds in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. He improved upon an already solid track record in the playoffs, as he’s gone 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 13 career outings (11 starts).
Snell missed four months of his first year in Dodger blue due to inflammation in his left shoulder. He’s typically been a better second-half pitcher in his career, and he came back strong from injury. In his penultimate regular-season outing, Snell faced the Phillies in L.A., striking out a season-high 12 while scattering two hits and two walks across seven scoreless innings.
Luzardo exceeded all expectations in his debut season with the Phillies after being acquired in December in a move that many viewed as nothing more than adding depth to the rotation. His 216 strikeouts led the Phillies and were tied for fourth in the Majors with the Pirates’ Paul Skenes. The lefty pitched like a legitimate Cy Young candidate for the first two months, going 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA in his first 10 starts with the Phils. Then came arguably the worst two-start stretch by any pitcher in MLB history, with Luzardo giving up 20 runs over just 5 2/3 innings across his May 31 start against the Brewers and his June 5 outing in Toronto. Though his 3.92 season ERA was respectable on its own, that number dips to an impressive 3.03 in his 30 outings outside of that two-start blip.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Dodgers: With another left-hander starting for the Phillies, the Dodgers’ lineup shouldn’t look too different from in Game 1. The top four of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman will likely hold. Lower in the order, Miguel Rojas could draw a start at third base after coming off the bench in the series opener. There’s also a chance that Will Smith cracks the starting lineup for the first time this postseason, depending on how he comes out of catching the final five innings of Game 1.
Phillies: The top four spots in the lineup figure to remain unchanged from Game 1, with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm leading the way. Beyond that, it’s possible manager Rob Thomson opts to load up on right-handed hitters against the left-handed Snell — though that becomes complicated depending on Bader’s status. If Bader is healthy, he’d certainly be the starter in center field. But if Bader has to miss any time, Thomson would likely give the left-handed-hitting Marsh a rare start against a southpaw.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Dodgers: With a series off-day on Sunday, the bullpen should be reset for Game 2. In the series opener, Tyler Glasnow covered 1 2/3 innings, Alex Vesia threw only three pitches and Roki Sasaki converted his first career save. Roberts has stopped short of naming Sasaki the Dodgers’ new closer, but the rookie has impressed in a limited sample in the role. On the other hand, the team’s veteran arms — such as Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen — struggled during the regular season.
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 Luzardo to Duran, the Phils will likely give their two setup men — left-hander Matt Strahm and right-hander Orion Kerkering — the high-leverage spots, with the order depending on matchups. Strahm was called on for the eighth inning in Game 1 to face the left-handed-hitting Ohtani (and struck him out) before giving up the decisive home run to righty Teoscar Hernández two batters later. Leverage spots also figure to fall on righty David Robertson — who came on to put out a fire in the sixth inning of Game 1 before allowing back-to-back baserunners to start the seventh — and lefty Tanner Banks. It will also be interesting to see what roles, if any, the Phillies have in store for Aaron Nola and Walker Buehler.
Dodgers: Smith, who is dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand, made it into Game 1 and feels that he’s ready to catch a full nine innings whenever the team calls for it. Edman will have to continue to manage his right ankle, which landed him on the IL twice earlier this year.
Phillies: Bader’s groin injury could have a significant impact on how the Phillies approach the outfield picture in Game 2 and beyond. The 31-year-old is expected to undergo testing on Sunday morning. Aside from Bader, 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.
Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Teoscar Hernández has three homers over the Dodgers’ three postseason games this year. Kiké Hernández, the Dodgers’ version of Mr. October, brought his career postseason RBI total up to 38 with his two-run double off Cristopher Sánchez in Game 1, which is tied with George Springer for the ninth most among active players.
Meanwhile, Pages picked up his first hit this postseason in Game 1 but is just 1-for-13 (.077) overall. Muncy also has had a slow start (1-for-9) after dealing with a lower body issue that he said affected his swing in the final week of the regular season. The third baseman will also come off the bench more with the Phillies’ rotation being heavy on left-handers.
Phillies: Marsh hit .338 (23-for-68) with 11 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs in September, then came through with a clutch hit off Ohtani in the second inning in Game 1 that helped trigger a three-run rally. On the other hand, Harper hit just .215 (20-for-93) with a .739 OPS over his final 25 games before going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 1.
Anything else fans might want to know?
