Phillies need better showing against Dodgers rotation if two teams meet again in October

LOS ANGELES – The Phillies will take two out of three against the defending World Champion Dodgers, but they’ll need a better showing against LA’s rotation if the two teams meet again in the postseason. 

In 17 2/3 innings against the Dodgers rotation over the three-game series, the Phillies struck out 24 times and scored only one run. Emmett Sheehan, who came into Monday’s game behind opener Anthony Banda, allowed a run over 5 2/3 innings. Shohei Ohtani had a no-hit bid through five innings. Blake Snell was the latest Dodgers starter to shut down the Phillies. He recorded a season-high 12 strikeouts over seven innings to lead his team to a 5-0 victory over the Phillies. 

“That’s the best I’ve seen Snell,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He threw strikes, he pounded the zone. The curveball was really good to our left-handers and the changeup was really good to our right-handers.”

After walking back-to-back hitters in the seventh, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound to get Snell, who was at 107 pitches. With Alex Vesia already walking out of the bullpen, Snell shook his head and told his manager, “I got this.” Roberts walked back to the dugout, and Snell retired Otto Kemp on strikes. 

The Phillies, however, have to be encouraged with the way Jesús Luzardo is finishing the season. He allowed four runs over seven plus innings. He returned for the eighth at 100 pitches to face Ohtani for a fourth time. Ohtani was 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Luzardo, but on his last pitch of the night, Ohtani crushed a hanging sweeper over the right center field wall. 

Luzardo entered the game with 14 home runs allowed. All were hit by right-handed batters. He allowed two home runs on the night against two of the more dangerous left-handed hitters in the game in Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.

He has one more start to go in the regular season. He is finishing in a great spot.

“If you told me at the beginning of the year that I’d be throwing 98 (mph) in the eighth 31 starts in, it would be hard to believe,” Luzardo said. “I feel really good. Feel healthy, which is nice.”

Luzardo has thrown at least seven innings nine times this season. His previous career high was five back in 2023. He has a 4.08 ERA through 176 2/3 innings. Of his 80 earned runs allow, 31 have come in his four worst starts of the season. He is in line to start a postseason game for the Phillies.

“Eating up innings, keeping us in ball games. Health. For me, I think that’s been the biggest thing. Being able to take the ball and keep it consistent,” Luzardo said. “Barring a couple outlier results, (I’ve) given us a chance to win every time I take the mound.”

The magic number for the Phillies to clinch a bye to the Division Series remains at 4.