Two of baseball’s prime groups will meet this weekend at Residents Financial institution Park when the 5-1 Philadelphia Phillies host the 8-0 Los Angeles Dodgers for 3 video games. The Dodgers (98-64) and Phillies (95-67) had the 2 greatest information in baseball final 12 months and there may be each cause to imagine they are going to be among the many league’s greatest groups in 2025 as properly.

“We have got a extremely good rotation. We have got a extremely good lineup. We have got a extremely good bullpen,” Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson instructed Phillies Nation in February when requested in regards to the Dodgers’ massive offseason. “So we’ll match up fantastic.”

Listed here are the main points for this week’s three-game collection in Philadelphia. Saturday and Sunday’s video games will be streamed regionally on fubo (attempt without cost).

Three premium pitching matchups, which is not any shock seeing how these two groups might need the most effective two rotations in baseball. Sasaki has labored in his first two big-league begins (MLB-leading 9 walks in solely 4 2/3 innings) and Philadelphia shouldn’t be precisely a welcoming place for a jittery rookie. That stated, few pitchers within the sport have as a lot arm expertise as Sasaki.

Right here now are 5 issues to find out about this weekend’s Dodgers vs. Phillies collection at Residents Financial institution Park, with a prediction thrown in, as a result of why not?

1. The Dodgers are off to a historic begin

At 8-0, the Dodgers have essentially the most consecutive wins to start a season by a defending World Sequence champion in baseball historical past. Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off house run Wednesday gave Los Angeles the report. Listed here are the longest successful streaks to start a season by a defending champ:

1. 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers: 8-0 (and counting)
2. 1933 New York Yankees: 7-0
3. 1985 Detroit Tigers: 6-0
4. 1934 New York Giants: 5-0
5. A number of tied at 4-0 (most just lately 1976 Cincinnati Reds) 

Eight straight wins to start a season are L.A.’s most because the 1955 workforce began a franchise greatest 10-0. That was the Dodgers’ third-to-last season in Brooklyn. The final workforce to start a season with a nine-game successful streak was the 2023 Tampa Bay Rays, who tied the report with 13 straight wins. The final Nationwide League workforce to start out 9-0 was the 1982 Atlanta Braves (13-0).

2. Freeman will miss the collection

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, final 12 months’s World Sequence MVP, will miss this weekend’s collection with the Phillies. He was positioned on the injured listing Thursday with an ankle damage that he suffered in a bathe “mishap” just lately. It’s the similar ankle that hobbled Freeman all through the postseason final 12 months. He initially suffered the damage stumbling by means of first base in September. Freeman had surgical procedure within the offseason and was introduced alongside fastidiously in spring coaching.

With Freeman sidelined, the Dodgers have been enjoying utility man Enrique Hernández at first base. Max Muncy can even play first, if wanted. The Dodgers haven’t but introduced a timetable for Freeman’s return. He’s eligible to be activated subsequent Thursday (April 10). He is for certain out this weekend.

3. The Phillies have hammered bullpens

It has been an uncommon begin to the season for the Phillies’ offense. They haven’t scored a single run within the first three innings of a sport this 12 months. However, within the sixth inning and later, they’ve scored 23 runs. That is in six video games. Take a look at the offense’s starter/reliever splits:

Is there a flaw in Philadelphia’s offense? A cause they can not hit starters however can bludgeon relievers? Eh, perhaps, although I am keen to chalk this as much as small pattern dimension every week into the season. I am sure the Phillies wish to do a greater job scoring early in video games and enjoying from forward although. Ready till the late innings to attain each night time makes for disturbing baseball.

4. The Dodgers have had points with lefties

In what is sort of actually one thing else we will blame on pattern dimension, the Dodgers haven’t been as productive towards left-handed pitchers as they’ve towards right-handed pitchers within the early going. That is notable with two southpaws, Luzardo and Sánchez, scheduled to start out for the Phillies this weekend. Listed here are L.A.’s platoon splits:

I reckon a lineup with highly effective right-handed hitters like Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Will Smith will clear up lefties quickly sufficient. Presumably as quickly as Friday towards Luzardo. Via eight video games although, the Dodgers have actually fattened up towards righties. Their offense hasn’t been almost as productive when there is a lefty on the mound.

5. Who’s scorching, who’s not?

The season is just every week previous and it’s nonetheless too early to inform which scorching begins are official breakouts and which gradual begins are worrisome indicators of decline. One week in, all we have now are some gamers performing properly and a few gamers performing poorly. That is baseball, and we have now weeks like that every one season, besides every thing will get magnified this primary week.

With the caveat that we’re nonetheless sorting by means of what’s actual and what’s small pattern dimension noise one week into the season, listed here are three Dodgers’ hitters who gotten off to scorching begins this 12 months:

Smith enters play Friday because the league’s chief in batting common and on-base proportion. Betts has additionally began the season very properly (.300/.364/.750 with three homers) regardless of an sickness that induced him to overlook the Tokyo Sequence towards the Chicago Cubs and lose about 25 kilos. He’s wholesome now and tearing the duvet off the ball.

On the opposite finish of the spectrum, Hernández (.105/.100/.421) and Muncy (.120/.214/.200) have not actually gotten going but for the Dodgers. Hernández is operating an aesthetically pleasing AVG > OBP batting line due to zero walks and one sac fly. Right here now are three Phillies’ hitters who’ve swung the bat properly within the early going this season:

Schwarber has 4 house runs, the remainder of the Phillies have 5, and nobody else has multiple. Bryson Stott is off to a pleasant begin as properly (.278/.381/.556). Bryce Harper has been simply OK (.269/.296/.423) and Trea Turner has been slapping singles and taking walks, however remains to be looking for his first extra-base hit of 2025 (.308/.400/.308). Edmundo Sosa crammed in for Turner as he missed just a few video games with again spasms, and the Phillies’ prime bench bat has a .600/.625/.867 slash line to start out the season in 16 plate appearances.

No Phillies common is hitting under Nick Castellanos’ .238 and none are hitting increased than Schwarber’s and Turner’s .308. Nobody is in a deep stoop to start the season and, aside from Schwarber’s 4 homers, nobody goes nuclear both. The manufacturing has been unfold out a bit extra evenly throughout the lineup than it has been for the Dodgers within the tremendous early going.

Prediction

L.A.’s season-opening successful streak involves an finish Friday, and the Phillies will take two of three this weekend. I will say the Phillies win Friday and Sunday, the 2 lefty starter video games, and Sasaki turns in the most effective begin of his younger MLB profession to offer the Dodgers their solely win of the collection on Saturday. He’ll go 5 innings and strike out at the very least eight.