National media: ‘In order to beat the Phillies, you’d better play your best baseball’

After earning a first-round playoff bye, skipping the wild card series, the Phillies waited patiently to find out who their opponent would be in the National League Division Series. On Wednesday, they finally got their answer. The Los Angeles Dodgers ran through the Cincinnati Reds, scoring 18 runs through two games.

Now, the Dodgers and Phillies are prepared to meet in the postseason for the first time since their NLCS matchup in 2009, when the Phillies beat L.A. for the second straight year. There has been plenty of dialogue ahead of Game 1 — even sportscaster Kirk Herbstreit was getting in on the conversation during the Thursday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers.

“What is L.A. going to do in a few weeks?” Herbstreit said. “They’re going to have the Dodgers probably in the NLCS by then.”

Ouch.

Ahead of Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park, here’s everything national pundits are saying about “the best two teams in baseball.”

» READ MORE: NLDS preview: 25 things to know about the defending champion Dodgers

It’ll be “Sho-time” at Citizens Bank Park with the announcement that the reigning National League MVP will be making his postseason pitching debut in Game 1 against the Phillies. In his first year with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani didn’t pitch as he was recovering from his second elbow surgery.

Ohtani eventually returned to the mound this past June and has progressively continued to increase his workload. ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney joined Mike Greenberg on Get Up to discuss one of the most anticipated starts. When Greenberg asked Olney what fans can expect, he responded, “total dominance based on how Ohtani finished this season.”

In his last four starts, throughout 19.2 innings, Ohtani recorded 27 strikeouts, four walks, and one run allowed.

“All year the Dodgers had this long, slow ramp up of Ohtani’s pitch count and man it has paid off,” Olney said. “They wanted to get him ready for October. That’s exactly where we are. And look, I know you’ve covered Michael Jordan and he might be the greatest ever. I know that every time we see Shohei Ohtani play, we have to remind ourselves how unique he is. The greatest baseball player we’ve ever seen. Everything he does as a hitter and as a pitcher.”

Ohtani is a skilled two-way player, thriving in both pitching and hitting. In the Dodgers’ series with the Reds, Ohtani hit two home runs in Game 1 and had an RBI in Game 2, forcing the Reds to walk him in the bottom of the seventh. When it comes to his skillset, everyone is confident in his abilities, including his teammate Mookie Betts.

“I mean, I wouldn’t let Shohei swing either,” Betts said. “I mean, I understand. I expect the Phillies to do it. I expect [it to happen] for the rest of the postseason. I understand Shohei, I understand the situation of the game. So, I just got to be ready to do my thing.”

With both teams battling to advance to the NLCS, MLB analyst Jim Bowden believes the winner of this series will be representing the National League on the grandest stage in baseball.

“These are the two best teams, for me, in the National League,” said Bowden on CBS Sports HQ. “Forget the records. They’re the two best teams. And I think whoever wins this series is going to represent the National League in the World Series.”

So, who has the edge going into Saturday’s game? According to former Dodgers player Jerry Hairston Jr., the Phillies do.

» READ MORE: Like the 1980 team, these Phillies have a ‘sense of urgency’ to win it all. Can they get it done,+ too?

“I think these are the two best teams in baseball,” said Hairston on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s the Takeoff podcast. “Especially the way the Philadelphia Phillies have been playing. Offensively, they’re a juggernaut, led by Kyle Schwarber and obviously Bryce Harper…From the pitching side, I know Zack Wheeler is not going to be pitching but they still have elite arms in that starting rotation, led by [Cristopher] Sanchez and then obviously, [Jhoan] Duran, who is just an incredible closer.

“So, if I were to give the edge, I would give the edge possibly to the Philadelphia Phillies because they are the higher seed. They do have that home field advantage. But, Dodgers are playing good baseball, man. They really are. And you got Shohei Ohtani who is well rested…It should be a fun, long series.”

The Dodgers are coming off an exciting wild card series win over the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, the Phillies tried to keep any rust away by playing in a seven-inning intrasquad game as a final tune up before Saturday.

As both teams head into Saturday’s matchup, Bowden believes the Phillies have one clear path to victory.

“They need their stars to be stars,” Bowden said. “They need Trea Turner, who led the league in batting average, they need him to create traffic. And then they need Schwarbombs from Kyle Schwarber, who is going to finish top three in MVP voting.

“They need Bryce Harper to do what he normally does on the October stage, and be heard from. But, the key to me is going to be can their starters pitch with the Dodgers starters those first six innings? If they can be tied or ahead after six, the Phillies can get to the next round.”

And Hairston, who also happens to be a former teammate of Harper, believes they have the roster to get it done.

» READ MORE: Check out more of the Inquirer's extensive coverage of the NLDS right here!

“Bryce Harper, he’s not afraid of nobody,” Hairston said. “I mean Bryce Harper always wants that smoke. He wanted that smoke since I saw him as a teammate when he was 18 years old. He’s never afraid. You know he’s going to show up.

“You know Schwarber is going to show up — who is going to get paid, by the way, this offseason, deservingly so. He’s a throwback type of player that wants all that smoke. You got guys in that lineup that ain’t afraid of nobody. So, that’s an issue for us…In order to beat the Phillies, you better play your best baseball.”