Phillies vs. Dodgers: 5 things that actually matter in the NLDS

The Phillies and Dodgers have been circling each other like two heavyweights for years, and finally, the collision is here.

There’s no more “what ifs” or inferior teams playing spoiler. The baseball gods got tired of waiting and dropped this matchup a round early as the NLDS is set to begin at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night.

Phillies NLDS: Game 1 & 2 start times at Citizens Bank Park

South Philadelphia will play host to Shohei Ohtani’s first postseason start. If the series goes five, he’ll start twice at The Bank. Baseball’s biggest star, the MLB Cash Cow himself, on the sport’s loudest stage. Twice. This is what October is supposed to feel like, with this series lined up to be equal parts electric and ulcer-inducing.

Here are the five things that actually matter in this series.

1. Survive the Dodgers Starting Rotation

In three games out in LA two weeks ago, the Phillies couldn’t do jack shit against Dodgers starters. We’re talking one run, three hits, in nearly 18 innings.

Shohei Ohtani threw five no-hit innings and Blake Snell shoved for seven. It was uninspiring, to say the least, yet the Phillies still managed to take 2-of-3.

Again, the Phillies have Ohtani, Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and probably Tyler Glasnow to deal with in the NLDS. I might be confident but I’m not stupid. That’s murderer’s row.

That said, there’s good news.

Phillies just saw the Dodgers rotation, so there’s really no secrets now. The mission isn’t necessarily to light them up, it’s to run pitch counts, grind at-bats, and force the always-shaky skipper Dave Roberts to tap that leaky bullpen early and often.

2. The Phillies Blueprint: Bury The Bullpen

Both teams spent stupid money and somehow still have duct-tape bullpens.

The Phillies at least have Jhoan Duran to slam the door, but it’s a minefield getting there. Matt Strahm vs. Ohtani/Freeman looms large and I wouldn’t count out Ranger Suárez as a if relief is needed, as soon as Game 1 on Saturday.

The Dodgers is considerably worse of a mess. Tanner Scott untrustworthy. Blake Treinen hit-or-miss. No closer. They’re praying guys like Sasaki or Sheehan can moonlight as relievers and hoping nobody notices the wheels wobbling.

Spoiler Alert: We’ve noticed.

3. Playoff Risers Will Be Noticed

Neither Bryce Harper nor Mookie Betts had their peak seasons, but both are fully capable of flipping this series.

Bryce Harper’s October résumé speaks for itself, although someone should remind the folks over at CBS Sports what exactly that tells us. If Harp returns to his signature October form and goes nuclear, the Dodgers are cooked.

As for Mookie Betts, it’s fair to say he found his swing late and looks a hell of a lot more like himself heading into South Philly. Call me crazy, if one of these two puts on a cape, that team probably wins.

4. Will Smith and Trea Turner Return

The Dodgers got Will Smith back, broken hand and all. He didn’t catch in the Wild Card, but even as a bat, he lengthens that lineup and instantly matters.

The Phillies get Trea Turner back from a hamstring strain and, oh yeah, he just won the NL batting title. The bat’s important, but the legs are everything.

If Turner can run without thinking twice, it changes the Phillies’ lineup, defense, and really the entire makeup of the series almost instantly.

5. Whatever It Takes: Survive the Spotlight

This is the matchup Major League Baseball wanted and really, it’s the one that every single Phillies fan should want too.

Shohei Ohtani in Philly. Citizens Bank Park frothing at the mouth. Every game is going to feel like a heavyweight title fight with the pressure ratcheted up to eleven.

The Phillies have the crowd. They have the October scars. They’ve lived in chaos before. The Dodgers have a history of getting bounced early in the NLDS.

Pressure’s a privilege, sure but it also crushes the unprepared.

Our Time: Welcome To Red October

The path forward isn’t complicated: work the starters, break the bullpen, and let Citizens Bank Park do the rest. It’s been four years in the making. Now it’s our time.

Whatever It Takes >>

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