Phillies ready for ‘fun challenge’ in hosting red-hot Dodgers

PHILADELPHIA — The focus of the baseball world will be centered on Citizens Bank Park this weekend as the Phillies, off to a strong start in 2025, host the hottest team in the major leagues. The undefeated Dodgers are coming to Philadelphia for a three-game series starting Friday night after ripping off eight straight wins to begin the season.

Led by two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani — still only hitting for now — along with Mookie Betts and a bevy of other star-level players, Los Angeles won the World Series last year in convincing fashion and only continued to add to its core in the offseason. The Phillies, equipped with a good deal of firepower in their own right, hope to compete for a championship this season. This early matchup of National League contenders may not mean much come playoff time, but it should be an entertaining preview of just how closely Philadelphia compares at the moment.

“It’ll be a fun challenge, right?” Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber said on Thursday. “I feel like every time that we play them, it’s always a fun series. It’s always packed, if it’s here, if it’s there. There’s a lot of great talent on both teams, and it’s always going to be a fun series. So it’s time for us to enjoy this one and buckle up and get ready for another good series.”

The Phillies (5-1) are fresh off a sweep of the Colorado Rockies in their first home series of the year and have played well in the early goings. They’ve scored runs late in games, and their starting pitching has been effective. The team will need to produce more offense against opposing starters, but it’s not a horrible formula so far.

Still, the Phillies have faced lesser competition in the Nationals and Rockies. The 8-0 Dodgers will be a different story. Philadelphia is ready to see that elite collection of players.

“My whole life, you want to play against the best,” reliever Matt Strahm said. “And that’s the hottest team in baseball right now, so good test for us early. It’ll be exciting.”

This Phillies-Dodgers series is set for some intriguing starting-pitching battles. The Phillies’ rotation is one of the most impressive in the big leagues, and the Dodgers have a unit to rival it after signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Japanese star Roki Sasaki this winter.

While neither Snell nor Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler are scheduled to pitch this weekend, there will be big arms on the mound. Jesús Luzardo and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will face off on Friday in Luzardo’s home debut with the Phillies. Aaron Nola and Sasaki will go on Saturday. The ever-ascending Cristopher Sánchez will take the ball for Philadelphia to finish the series against the hard-throwing Tyler Glasnow on Sunday afternoon.

“I think it’s a great matchup,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Pitching matchups are really good. So we’ll see where it goes.”

The Phillies have a lineup with thump and big names. Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner are known as some of the premier position players in the game with plenty of other contributors in there as well.

But the Dodgers, even while missing first baseman Freddie Freeman due to an ankle sprain, also have talent all across their batting order. They have MVP winners in Ohtani and Betts, Teoscar Hernández is a power threat and most of their other regulars have track records.

“It speaks for itself when you read the lineup,” Strahm said. “They have proven guys who’ve done it for a really long time, and obviously they’re coming off a World Series. Up and down that lineup, they’re all talented and very good at baseball, so it’ll be a fun three days.”

Added Luzardo: “Star power throughout — one to nine — and the ability to have depth on the bench as well. They have speed. They have defense. They have right-handed hitters, left-handed hitters. They’re pretty deep as a team, which leads to not a lot of holes.”

The Phillies know that this series is amplified due to the hype around the Dodgers and the attention that they demand globally. “I heard they were unbeatable,” catcher J.T. Realmuto joked. The Phillies are looking forward to facing Los Angeles, but the club is hesitant to assign too much meaning to any particular series, especially one in April.

Last season, the Phillies swept the Dodgers in Philadelphia in early July and won the season series against them. However, the Phillies sputtered in the second half while Los Angeles surged. The Phillies’ ultimate judgment will come in the postseason, and no regular-season wins will change that — no matter the opponent.

This series with the Dodgers should be appealing and even informative. But it won’t provide too much extra motivation for a Phillies team with a long-term goal in mind.

“I don’t think so,” Realmuto said. “We want to win every game. Every game is important. Obviously, they’re a great team over there, so we’re excited for their talent. It’s gonna be fun.”