Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be yet another Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen story that fell apart every October? That group that had Dave Roberts pacing the dugout in sweats, wondering who he could even trust to get three outs? Well, that’s not the story this time. On Saturday night, the team in blue completely flipped that script. And they turned what was once their biggest weakness into their secret weapon. They stunned the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Shohei Ohtani handled the chaos like a pro and gave the Phillies six solid innings, striking out nine while allowing just three runs on three hits. Sure, he wobbled early, but every time the Phillies tried to come back, he slammed that door shot. The Phillies stars, like Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, all vanished under the bright lights, making just one hit in eleven at-bats. Citizens Bank Park is famous for the noise, but LA silenced that crowd. And now with Game 1 done and dusted, they want to do the same in Game 2.

Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Lineup:

1. Shohei Ohtani – DH
2. Mookie Betts – SS
3. Teoscar Hernández – RF
4. Freddie Freeman – 1B
5. Tommy Edman – 2B
6. Kiké Hernández – LF
7. Miguel Rojas – 3B
8. Andy Pages – CF
9. Ben Rortvedt – C

Starting pitcher Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35 ERA)

Philadelphia Phillies Starting Lineup:

1. Trea Turner – SS
2. Kyle Schwarber – DH
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. J.T. Realmuto – C
6. Nick Castellanos – RF
7. Edmundo Sosa – 2B
8. Brandon Marsh – CF
9. Weston Wilson – LF

Starting Pitcher – Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92 ERA)

How to Watch Dodgers vs. Phillies—Game 2 Details

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date: Monday, October 6, 2025
First Pitch: 6:08 p.m. ET
TV: TBS

Dodgers vs. Phillies: Latest Injuries

Philadelphia Phillies

• Harrison Bader (LF) – Day-to-day, hamstring
• Ranger Suárez (SP) – Day-to-day, groin
• Max Kepler (LF) – Day-to-day, illness
• José Alvarado (RP) – 15-day IL, forearm
• Daniel Robert (RP) – 60-day IL, forearm
• Jordan Romano (RP) – 15-day IL, finger
• Zack Wheeler (SP) – 60-day IL, blood clot

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Nick Frasso (SP) – 60-day IL, undisclosed
• Kirby Yates (RP) – 15-day IL, hamstring
• Michael Kopech (RP) – 15-day IL, knee
• Brock Stewart (RP) – 15-day IL, shoulder
• Tony Gonsolin (SP) – 60-day IL, elbow
• Evan Phillips (RP) – 60-day IL, forearm
• Kyle Hurt (SP) – 60-day IL, elbow
• Brusdar Graterol (RP) – 60-day IL, shoulder
• Michael Grove (RP) – 60-day IL, shoulder
• River Ryan (SP) – 60-day IL, elbow
• Gavin Stone (SP) – 60-day IL, shoulder

Luzardo’s biggest test yet: Stopping Ohtani and the Dodgers

It feels like the Los Angeles Dodgers have figured out a postseason blueprint and seem to want to follow that—lean on your starters deep into the game and then let them finish the job in the bullpen. On Saturday, this is what happened: Ohtani followed the script and had 15 of his last 17 batters retired and nine strikeouts. Teoscar Hernandez’s three-run blast in the 7th broke the Phillies, and Tyler Glasnow, Alex Vesia, and Rōki Sasaki—essentially starters turned relievers—closed out a 5–3 win in Philadelphia and silenced 45,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park.

Now Game 2 brings a new challenge—Jesus Luzardo vs. Blake Snell. Ohtani will shift to his designated role, which honestly might be more horrifying for the Phillies than seeing him pitch. And Luzardo knows that the Ohtani puzzle is difficult to solve when he is locked in. Luzardo’s mid-90s heat and slider did keep Ohtani in check, but one mistake in their last meeting led to a 408-foot blast. And given he is coming from such an amped-up performance, keeping Ohtani in check will be difficult.

Moreover, for Luzardo, this is the test that defines the postseason legends. He has been solid for the team with a 15-7 record and a 3.92 ERA. But, if you look into the advanced metrics, they all suggest he is even better than that. So what’s the problem? Well, the issue is that when things get bad for him, it gets really bad.

Like against the Dodgers just a few weeks ago, he gave up four runs in seven innings. And both Freddie Freeman and Ohtani took him deep. Plus, on the other side, Snell has been everything the team hoped for when they signed him. Snell ended the regular season blazing hot and posted a 2.35 ERA while holding the Phillies scoreless in their last meeting. Plus, add to that his nine-strikeout wild-card performance and the fact that Harper, Schwarber, and Turner have all struggled against him, and it gives Snell a clear upper hand. So can Luzardo really stop the Dodgers? Probably not completely.

He can for sure limit the damage, maybe keep it close, but this LA lineup, which is led by none other than two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman, has been relentless. So right now, it’s hard to bet against the Los Angeles Dodgers.