Phillies-Dodgers: Big-money bats go quiet in Game 2 loss; Aaron Nola will start Game 3 with Philly facing elimination
The Phillies' season is on the brink as they head to L.A. down 2-0 after dropping both their games at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies lost to Dodgers, 4-3, in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on TBS. The Dodgers now lead the best-of-five series, 2-0.
The series now shifts to Los Angeles, where the Phillies will face elimination in Game 3 on Wednesday at 9:08 p.m.
Aaron Nola will start Game 3 for the Phillies, with Ranger Suarez behind him out of the bullpen, Rob Thomson announced.
Outfielder Harrison Bader was out of the starting lineup after injuring his groin in Game 1, but came on to pinch hit in the ninth inning and hit a single.
Schwardle: Play our Phillies word game during the MLB playoffs.
Phillies fans feel 'hopeless' as series heads to L.A.
How did Phillies fans leaving Citizens Bank Park after the team’s 4-3 loss in Game 2 feel?
Michael Rodriguez summed it up succinctly.
“Bad,” said Michael, 7, who begged his dad, Joe, to buy him a ticket so he could see his first playoff game.
Rob Thomson explains his late-game decision making
Aaron Nola — not Ranger Suarez — will start Game 3
Hayes: Phillies don't just face elimination, they face a dismantling
When the epitaph of the latest, briefest Golden Era of the Phillies franchise is written, what will be writ most large is how, for four games in the postseason the nearly $1 billion investment in the offense returned pennies on the dollar.
This is that epitaph, writ now.
In the first two games of the National League Division Series, the Phillies’ $927 million Big Five — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber, in order of contract value — are 5-for-35, hitting .143, with 13 strikeouts, no homers, and four walks. That includes a furious, ninth-inning charge that fell just short Monday night.
Photos from the Phillies' Game 2 loss to the Dodgers
Phillies on the brink of elimination after Game 2 loss
In a blink, the season's on the brink.
Despite a solid, occasionally stellar start from Jesus Luzardo and a furious ninth-inning rally, the Phillies were let down again by their bullpen and vaunted offense Monday night in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
The Phillies trail, 2-0, in the best-of-five series and will face extinction Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Phillies lose Game 2 as late rally falls short
Phillies show some life in ninth, cut into Dodgers' lead
Don't write the Phillies' epitaph just yet.
Down to their last three outs, the Phillies got three consecutive hits in the ninth inning against Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen, including a two-run double by Nick Castellanos that cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Dodgers are going to the bullpen again, calling on lefty Alex Vesia.
Fans boo Jhoan Duran's entrance with Phillies losing
It has come to this: Jhoan Duran's cinematic entrance has been met with ... jeers.
For a second consecutive game, Duran is entering the game in the ninth inning even though the Phillies are trailing. (They're down 4-1 in Game 2 after Trea Turner spoiled the Dodgers' shutout bid with an RBI single in the eighth inning).
And for the second consecutive game, the Phillies elected to turn down the lights, let the tarantulas crawl across the scoreboard, and unleash Duran's full entrance. As the lights dimmed, the restless sold-out crowd started the boo.
Trea Turner puts the Phillies on the board in the eighth
Where have the Phillies hitters gone?
A lot will be made about the failings of the Phillies' bullpen through the first two games of the division series.
But it really boils down to this: 1-for-17.
That's the combined line for the Phillies' top three hitters — Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper. After going 1-for-11 with six strikeouts in Game 1, they are 0-for-6 with four strikeouts through the first seven innings of Game 2.
The boos are raining down at the Bank
After the Dodgers put up four runs in the top of the seventh, the Phillies respond with three straight outs in the bottom half of the inning. The lineup has only one hit. Boos are starting to rain down. Los Angeles leads 4-0 entering the top of the eighth.
Roy Halladay's son hopes to make his own name in baseball
His dad was Roy Halladay, the dominant pitcher who gritted his teeth every fifth day and matched his glare with a menacing cutter. But Braden Halladay was just as interested with how a team was built than learning how his dad gripped his pitches.
“I always wanted to be a major league baseball player. That’s every kid’s dream,” Braden Halladay said Monday after throwing a ceremonial first pitch 15 years after his father’s postseason no-hitter. “But I was super obsessed with the front office and how the front office works. I think anybody who was here and knew me can second that. Even as a 10-year-old, I was just completely enamored by it.”
So it makes sense that Halladay’s son spent the season working as a data apprentice for the Texas Rangers, an entry level job he hopes can lead to a career in baseball. Braden Halladay pitched in college at Penn State and High Point, where he earned a master’s degree in December of 2024 in communications and business leadership. Halladay worked in spring training for the Phillies in ballpark operations before latching on with the Rangers.
How the Dodgers broke Game 2 open in the seventh inning
Advantage: Dodgers.
After a six-inning stalemate, the Dodgers finally chase Jesus Luzardo from the game and grabbed a 4-0 lead in the seventh.
Luzardo's string of 17 consecutive batters retired ended with a leadoff single by Teoscar Hernandez. Freddie Freeman followed with a liner to right field and took second base when Nick Castellanos threw the ball into first.
Ohtani increases Dodgers' lead to four runs
Dodgers add to lead on Will Smith's two-run single
Dodgers strike first in Game 2
Harper comes up empty in big spot
Bryce Harper had his chance.
After back-to-back one-out walks to Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, Harper came to the plate against Blake Snell. But he swung at three pitches out of the strike zone, including a dirt-diving 91 mph slider.
And Mr. Red October struck out.
Hayes: Nearly a billion dollars for two hits so far
The Phillies’ $927 million Big Five — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber, in order of payroll outlay — are 2-for-26 with 11 strikeouts and two walks through 14 NLDS innings.
Phillies get first hit off Snell in fifth as their bullpen begins to stir
It took until there were two outs in the fifth inning, but the Phillies finally recorded a hit against Blake Snell.
But Edmundo Sosa's single to center field didn't amount to anything.
Meanwhile, there's action in the Phillies' bullpen as the sixth inning begins and the Dodgers get set to bring the top of the order to the plate for a third time.
Phillies still looking for a hit through four innings
Through four innings, the Phillies still don’t have a hit against Blake Snell. The left-hander has issued two walks, one to Bryce Harper in the first, and another to Brandon Marsh in the third that was erased when he was caught stealing. But those are the only two runners he has given up.
The Phillies offense has no answer for Snell’s offspeed pitches. Collectively, they have swung 15 times on his changeup, curveball, and slider, and 13 of those have been whiffs.
Not a bad decision to run with Marsh
Don’t hate the strategy to steal with Brandon Marsh there. Two out, two strikes on Kyle Schwarber, who’s 2-for-10 vs. Snell and who’s slumping now anyway. Marsh on second base means a base hit scores him.
Yes, Marsh broke too soon, but now Schwarber has a clean count to lead off the fourth, with Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm behind him.
Luzardo settles in with two quick innings after 24-pitch first
After that 24-pitch first inning, Jesús Luzardo has found some efficiency. He needed 10 pitches to retire the side in the second and eight in the third.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, however, Blake Snell has been even quicker. They entered the bottom of the third still searching for their first hit against the left-hander, whose pitch count sat at 25.
Jesús Luzardo gets out of jam — but at a cost
It was a bit of a roller-coaster first inning for Jesús Luzardo, but he managed to end it without any damage. The lefty started things off by freezing Dodgers leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani with a perfectly placed changeup — for Ohtani’s fifth strikeout of this series, fourth looking — but then allowed Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to reach on a single and a walk.
A line drive from Freddie Freeman looked like trouble, but Nick Castellanos tracked it down for the second out. Tommy Edman grounded out to strand the runners on the corners.
But if Luzardo is to go deep into this game, he will have to find a way to be more efficient. He needed 24 pitches in the first inning alone.
Roy Halladay's sons throw out ceremonial first pitch to Carlos Ruiz
Roy Halladay’s sons Braden and Ryan threw a ceremonial first pitch to Carlos Ruiz to mark the 15th anniversary of their father’s postseason no-hitter.
Halladay’s no-hitter in 2010 was his first playoff game after spending a decade in the majors without reaching October. He struck out eight Cincinnati Reds, walked one, and the no-hitter was sealed by Ruiz fielding a soft grounder and throwing to first from his knees.
Halladay died in November 2017 when a plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. He was 40.
Murphy: Don't go chasing breaking balls vs. Snell
You’ve heard a lot about the Phillies’ chase rate in recent years. So it’s worth noting that Dodgers’ Game 2 starter Blake Snell is one of the best in the game at getting opposing hitters to go fishing out of the zone.
Snell induced the fourth-highest chase rate among major league starters this year (min. 70 innings), behind only Aaron Nola, Tarik Skubal and Spencer Schwellenbach. Snell got hitters to swing at more than a third (34.1 percent) of his out-of-zone pitches in 2025. The lefty leans heavily a changeup that ranks among the best in the game. Opponents are hitting just .153 with three extra bases and no home runs against the pitch.
Finding fastballs in the zone will be a key for the Phillies in Game 2.
Will Ranger Suárez pitch in Game 2?
Ranger Suárez was available to pitch out of the bullpen Saturday night in Game 1 of the National League division series.
It sounds like the Phillies might actually use him in a critical moment in Game 2.
“We'll use Ranger out of the bullpen tonight in leverage,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He's available. I could use him at any point.”
Bader out of starting lineup
Harrison Bader is still unable to run at 100% due to his groin strain and is out of the starting lineup for Game 2. Bader is able to swing a bat and will hit in the cages pregame, but is limited defensively until he can run fully. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he could “possibly” be a pinch-hit option.
The Phillies’ outfield configuration against Blake Snell is Otto Kemp in left field, Brandon Marsh in center field, and Nick Castellanos in right field. Thomson opted for Kemp over Wilson in left because he liked Kemp’s at-bats against Snell better when they faced him on Sept. 17. While both Kemp and Wilson struck out twice, Kemp also put the ball in play. Also, Kemp has a .231 batting average and .786 OPS in 74 plate appearances against left-handers, while Wilson has a .194 batting average and .654 OPS in 82 plate appearances.
Edmundo Sosa will start at second base over Bryson Stott to get an additional right-handed bat in the lineup.
For the Phils, an anniversary best forgotten
The Joe DiMaggio-led New York Yankees held a 12-0 lead over the Phillies in World Series titles in 1950, and on this date 75 years ago, they took a giant step toward making it 13-0.
The New Yorkers held on for a 3-2 win over the Phils in Yankee Stadium in game three of what would be an eventual sweep of the overmatched Phightins.
(The winning pitcher was Tom Ferrick, father of longtime former Inquirer columnist Tom Ferrick Jr.)
Dodgers make lineup change, still no Will Smith
Dodgers outfielder Alex Call will be out of the Game 2 lineup after getting on base twice in the team's Game 1 win. Call will be replaced in left field by Kiké Hernandez, who hit a two-run double Saturday while playing third base. Miguel Rojas gets the start at third base Monday and will replace Call in the seventh spot in the order.
Here's a look at the Dodgers' full lineup, which otherwise looks exactly the same:
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Mookie Betts, SS
- Teoscar Hernández, RF
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Tommy Edman, 2B
- Enrique Hernández, LF
- Miguel Rojas, 3B
- Andy Pages, CF
- Ben Rortvedt, C
🌙 The moon may be a star at the Phillies game
It’s a good bet that the “harvest moon” will be getting more than a cameo from the TV cameras during the Phillies-Dodgers game in South Philly.
This will be an oversized “super moon,” making one of its closest approaches to Earth of the year, and appear about 30% brighter than when our constant satellite is at its farthest (not that the players will need moon-glasses).
Granted, for the people at the game, the stadium lights will kind of dilute the effect, but the moon will be rising at 6:13 p.m. over the Delaware River, about five minutes after the first pitch. It will be at 99.78% fullness by 7 p.m., and eventually appear over the right field seats. It will be migrating toward home plate, waxing its way toward the instant of absolute fullness at 11:48 p.m.
Another LA night in South Philly, weatherwise
The Phillies' October luck continues — at least in terms of the weather.
At game time, the temperature in South Philadelphia is expected to be in the Los Angeles-like mid-and upper-70s, with a slight breeze blowing out toward center when the Phillies host the Dodgers.
And the Phillies will be getting out of town before the weather takes a rather dramatic turn around here, with showers and thunderstorms expected Tuesday night into early Wednesday, when temperatures will get no higher than mid-60s and drop into the 40s at night.
Harrison Bader status for Game 2
Standing in the quiet clubhouse after the Phillies’ Game 1 loss to the Dodgers, Harrison Bader was optimistic that he would be able to return for the rest of the National League Division Series.
And further imaging he underwent on Sunday confirmed that Bader had not suffered a tear or major strain of his groin, which tightened up during the fifth inning.
Bader continued to receive treatment on Sunday afternoon, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson said they would know more about his availability on Monday.
History is against the Phillies
David Robertson said it’s just one game. Harrison Bader said the Phillies still have a lot of baseball ahead of them. Brandon Marsh said the Phillies have to just move on from the loss. And Kyle Schwarber said the NLDS was never going to be easy.
But it’s been easier said than done for a team to rally — especially the Phillies — after losing Game 1. If the Phillies reach the NLCS, they’ll make history by winning a postseason series for the first time after losing the first game.
The Phillies have won 15 postseason series in their history. They won Game 1 in all of them. The Phils have never advanced in the postseason after dropping Game 1. Remember in 2022? The Phillies danced on their own because they won Game 1 in St. Louis, Atlanta, and San Diego. They even won Game 1 in Houston before fading in the World Series. In the current Division Series format, the team that wins Game 1 advances 74% of the time.
Phillies-Dodgers Game 2: How to watch and stream
Game 2 of the National League Divisional Series between the Phillies and Dodgers begins Monday night on TBS, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. Philly time.
Calling all the action from Citizens Bank Park is veteran TBS announcer Brian Anderson and Jeff Francoeur, who spent most of his career with the Atlanta Braves but played for the Phillies during the 2015 season.
Lauren Shehadi will report from Citizens Bank Park.
Phillies-Dodgers 2025 NLDS schedule
Game 1: Dodgers 5, Phillies 3
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. (TBS, 94.1 WIP)
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. (TBS, 94.1 WIP)
Game 4*: Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. (TBS, 94.1 WIP)
Game 5*: Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. (TBS, 94.1 WIP)
* - If necessary