Phillies keep humbling the Dodgers and the rest of Major League Baseball should take note

It’s early April and the Phillies are already reminding everyone why they’re a team built for October. They just took two of three from the defending World Series champion Dodgers, improved to 7-2 on the season, and continue to treat L.A. like a measuring stick they’re not afraid to snap over their knee.

Sunday’s 8-7 win was just the latest chapter in what’s quietly become a lopsided battle — The Fightins have now taken eight of the last ten against the Dodgers and six of seven at Citizens Bank Park.

More from the Phillies statement weekend:

WATCH: Castellanos shuts up the Dodgers with an electric Grand Slam at Citizens Bank Park

Castellanos crushes Grand Slam, Phillies beat Dodgers in comeback thriller to win the series

JT Realmuto glued his thumb shut and handed the Dodgers their first loss of the season

Shohei Ohtani’s Phillies Nightmare Continues

Ohtani has a career OPS of .699 against the Phillies – his lowest mark against any team in Major League Baseball. Citizens Bank Park remains one of two MLB  ballparks he’s never homered in, Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati is the other. 

The Phillies won the weekend series against the Dodgers 2-1 and Ohtani finished going 1-for-11 from the dish with two walks and five strikeouts. 

That’s notable, obviously. Given the fact that these two teams are currently the darlings of the National League, it’s hard to not look ahead to October with the NL Pennant on the line but at the very least, it was a good reminder to baseball fans and the Phillies locker room that this team is built to win a World Series, regardless of what’s happening in Los Angeles.

As for what happened over the weekend, it was a series that had a bit of everything: blown leads, late rallies, power, execution, a little drama with Jordan Romano, and ultimately, another Phillies win.

That’s what stands out most. Even when things aren’t clean — and they weren’t — the Phillies have enough firepower and resiliency to claw out wins against teams with championship banners and billion-dollar rosters.

Sunday’s win could’ve slipped away when Romano gave up the lead in the 7th, just as it nearly did Friday night. His command and fastball velocity are a problem. No sugarcoating that. But when Bryce Harper smacked a leadoff double and Bryson Stott tied the game moments later, it didn’t matter because the Phillies came right back.

Edmundo Sosa — who’s quietly been the best player on the team to start the year — busted it down the line for the go-ahead run.

That’s what deep, confident, playoff-hardened teams do.

The Phillies aren’t in awe of the Dodgers. They beat them. Period.

It’s a mindset. And it’s showing up all over the box score. Sosa is a spark plug. Castellanos launched a grand slam this weekend. Harper is, well, Harper. Realmuto is blocking out the noise and lacing doubles. Sánchez now owns the Dodgers. The list of contributors keeps growing, and Rob Thomson’s group knows how to win in different ways.

Spark Plug: Edmundo Sosa

Back on top thanks to Edmundo movin' up the line 💨 pic.twitter.com/CujAAMruPc

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 6, 2025

Again — this doesn’t mean the Phillies are guaranteed anything in October. But it does mean they’re built to get there and survive it once they do. This isn’t a team hoping to stay relevant. It’s a team that expects to contend — and doesn’t blink when the league’s elite walk through the door.

Now they head to Atlanta to face a Braves team that’s 1-8 and already teetering. Tuesday’s matchup? Zack Wheeler vs. Chris Sale — Cy Young runner-up vs. reigning winner. It doesn’t get much better.

The Phillies are rolling. The Dodgers are vulnerable. And the rest of the National League better be paying attention.

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