It’s only April. Let’s remind ourselves of that. The cherry blossoms are blooming. The weather forecast still includes the word “frost.” But if you squint just right — and maybe fast-forward six months in your mind — you can’t help but see it: Phillies. Dodgers. NLCS preview?
OK, sure. We’re at the very beginning of a six-month slog that’ll chew up rotations, rebuild bullpens, and send more players to the IL than the All-Star Game. But when two of the league’s heavyweights square off — two clubs built to be playing deep into October — it’s hard not to think bigger.
Will this weekend actually tell us anything? Maybe not. April baseball is often more mirage than message. But for the Phillies, who’ve seen two promising Octobers end one round too soon, this is more than just another early-season series. It’s a chance to send a message to the Dodgers — and the rest of the baseball universe — that this year’s club is more than hype. That they’re built to go toe-to-toe with the sport’s elite. That they’re ready to finish what the last two years couldn't.
And hey, even if it is early... it never hurts to start writing your October script in April.
Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Phillies Record: 5-1
Dodgers Record: 8-0
1. The Big Picture
Shohei Ohtani doesn’t just meet the moment. He tends to shake its hand, steal its spotlight, and then jog around the bases while the crowd loses its mind. And on Wednesday night — of course — he did it again.
On his bobblehead night, naturally, Ohtani launched a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the undefeated Dodgers past the winless Braves, 6–5. Because of course he did.
The Dodgers are now 8-0 — the best start ever by a defending World Series champion. They’ve trailed in six of those games. They already have two walk-off wins. And Ohtani? He’s scored in every one of them.
This Dodgers club is a juggernaut, for sure.
This is an important test for the Phillies. No, nothing is at stake right now, but a strong showing could serve as a valuable confidence boost if these teams meet again in October. A sweep feels unlikely—I expect a tightly contested series, with either side taking two wins.
2. The A-B-C Storylines
A. Looking to watch the Phillies on Friday night? You might have to do a little channel surfing. The game won’t be on NBC10, NBC Sports Philadelphia, or even NBCSP+. Instead, the Phillies will be featured on Apple TV+ as part of its “Friday Night Baseball” package. Don't kill the messenger.
B. Freddie Freeman has destroyed the Phillies throughout his career, but he won't have a chance to do that this weekend. The Dodgers placed him on the injured list Thursday with an ankle injury — the result of an unfortunate slip in the shower on Sunday morning. The move is retroactive to Monday. He hasn’t played since Saturday and is 3-for-12 on the season, with two homers and four RBIs.
C. The Dodgers have done something no defending World Series champion has ever done — start a season 8-0. No, they probably won’t go 162-0. But right now? They sure look like the team to beat in 2025. They’ve already moved to +230 favorites to win it all, and their projected win total has jumped to 108.5, per the latest odds from BetMGM. For context: they opened the season at +240, with a projected total of 104.5 wins. That sound you hear? It’s Vegas recalculating in real time.
3. The Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Jesus Luzardo (1-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 2.70)
Time: 6:45pm | Weather: 65-degrees and cloudy
Saturday: RHP Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44) vs. RHP Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79)
Time: 4:05pm | Weather: 57-degree with rain in the forecast
Sunday: LHP Cristopher Sanchez (0-0, 1.69) vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.00)
Time: 1:05pm | Weather: 65-degrees with rain in the forecast
4. The Key Number
10 - Friday’s game will mark Shohei Ohtani’s 10th career appearance at Citizens Bank Park. In his first nine games there, he’s gone 10-for-33 with four RBIs — but no home runs. In fact, Citizens Bank Park is one of just two major league ballparks where Ohtani has yet to go deep. The other? Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
5. What to Watch For
Aaron Nola surrendered two home runs in his season debut—can he keep the ball in the yard against a potent Dodgers lineup? Cristopher Sánchez also faces a challenge: after a strong season debut on Monday, how will he fare against a lineup stacked with power? Meanwhile, Alec Bohm’s Statcast numbers suggest better days are ahead. While the results may not fully show it yet, he’s been squaring up the ball consistently, posting a 73% hard-hit rate (balls with exit velocity of 95 mph or higher), well above his career average of 45%. His 13% barrel-rate is also double his career average. Closing Thought:
