A pair of division leaders might be in playoff mode this week because the Philadelphia Phillies go to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game collection that begins Monday.
The Milwaukee Brewers lead the Nationwide League with a 91-59 document, whereas the Phillies are the next-best division chief at 89-61. The Dodgers have the third-best document amongst division leaders at 84-65, 4 1/2 video games behind Philadelphia.
The highest two groups in every league get a bye by way of the wild-card spherical, with the third staff from that listing compelled to play an additional spherical within the playoffs.
Including to the ambiance this week is that the Phillies will clinch the NL East title with their subsequent victory.
The Dodgers gained a sport on the Phillies on Sunday with a 10-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Philadelphia noticed a six-game profitable streak come to an finish Sunday with a 10-3 residence loss to the Kansas Metropolis Royals however clinched its fourth consecutive playoff berth when the Dodgers defeated the Giants.
On Aug. 27, the Dodgers had been a half-game higher than the Phillies for second-best document amongst division leaders, however Philadelphia went on a 13-3 run to take a strong maintain of that second spot.
“They’re massive,” Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson mentioned of this week’s video games at Los Angeles. “You could have the bye that is concerned and so they’re membership. We’ll their place, which goes to be raucous, so it should be a giant collection.”
Whereas the Phillies will ship left-hander Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.77 ERA) to the mound Monday, the Dodgers will counter with right-hander Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 3.32).
Suarez has been in elite kind over his final 4 begins, going 3-0 with a 0.38 ERA over 24 innings. He gave up only one hit over six scoreless innings and had a season-best 12 strikeouts in a win final Tuesday over the New York Mets.
He’s 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 23 2/3 innings over seven lifetime appearances (4 begins) in opposition to Los Angeles.
Whereas the Dodgers’ pitching took middle stage with a pair of close to no-hitters over the previous week, the offense got here to life over the weekend. The Dodgers had a minimum of 17 hits in victories Saturday and Sunday at San Francisco, the primary time with that many in back-to-back video games since late April.
“I believe it was intent, high quality of at-bat, profitable pitches, utilizing the entire discipline, not (hanging out),” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned of the offense. “I believe that every one of this stuff, you already know it is in there. We have seen it (however) perhaps not with the consistency we have preferred. … To see us do what we did is definitely encouraging.”
Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy didn’t play Sunday after he was hit behind the helmet by a pitch Saturday. Roberts mentioned his left-handed hitter will take off one of many video games in opposition to the Phillies, who plan to start out three lefties.
The Dodgers have received six of their final seven video games whereas outscoring their opponents 48-19, together with Sunday’s 10-2 victory.
Sheehan was not anticipated to be part of a postseason rotation, however the 25-year-old is making a case for himself by delivering a 1.45 ERA over his final three begins. He opened his most up-to-date begin final Tuesday in opposition to the Colorado Rockies with 5 good innings.
Sheehan, who missed the whole 2024 season after Tommy John surgical procedure, has by no means confronted the Phillies.
–Discipline Stage Media
