Dodgers seek to complete sweep of division series vs. Phillies

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - The Dodgers will try to complete their second sweep of the 2025 postseason tonight when they face the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of a National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers took a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-five series with 5-3 and 4-3 victories Saturday and Monday in Philadelphia after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for the Dodgers against fellow right- hander Aaron Nola.

Yamamoto was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, limiting the Reds to two runs (both unearned) and four hits in an 8-4 victory last Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. He was 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA in the regular season, with the Dodgers going 17-13 in his 30 starts.

Yamamoto was the losing pitcher in his lone appearance against Philadelphia, allowing one run and three hits in six innings in a 3-2 loss April 4 at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Nola was 5-10 with a 6.01 ERA in the regular season with the Phillies, going 7-10 in his starts. He was on the injured list from May 16 to Aug. 17 because of a right ankle sprain.

Nola will be pitching for the first time since Sept. 26, when he pitched eight innings and struck out nine batters, both season highs, and allowed a season-low two hits in a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins in a performance manager Rob Thomson called ``phenomenal."

"That's the Nola we've seen so I'm banking that we're going to get that,'' Thomson said at his Tuesday news conference.   

Nola is 3-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 12 starts against the Dodgers, including a 3-1 loss in his only 2025 appearance against them, allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings, with two strikeouts and one walk April 5.   

Shohei Ohtani is 1-for-7 with one RBI, one walk and three strikeouts against Nola.

Left-hander Ranger Suárez is expected to make his first relief appearance since Game 1 of the 2022 World Series, Thomson said.   

Thomson said he selected Nola as his starter because ``he's more comfortable with starting.''

Suárez was 12-6 with a 3.20 ERA in the regular season, with Philadelphia going 16-10 in his starts.

With the Dodgers facing a right-handed starter for the first time in the series, Max Muncy will be in the starting lineup in place of Miguel Rojas, who batted seventh and started at third base Monday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at his Tuesday news conference.

Roberts said he was sure Rojas will ``be ready for whatever we need from him'' Wednesday after he ``tweaked'' a hamstring when he dove to touch third base with his glove ahead of a sliding Trea Turner for the force out to end the sixth inning. Muncy pinch hit for him in the seventh.

Roberts said on Tuesday ``there is hope'' that Will Smith will be the starting catcher but he will make the decision Wednesday.   

``Each day it's gotten better so I feel more confident that he'll be able to start,'' Roberts said.

Smith entered each of the first two games of the series as a pinch-hitter for catcher Ben Rortvedt, then caught the remainder of the games. Entering the series, Smith only played once since suffering what was later diagnosed as a hairline fracture in his right hand when he was hit by a foul tip Sept. 3 and not at all after Sept. 9 when his hand flared up the next day.   

It will be a ``game -time decision'' if center fielder Harrison Bader starts, Thomson said. He was replaced by a pinch hitter in the seventh inning Saturday because of a groin injury. Bader singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Monday, then was replaced by a pinch-runner.

The Phillies' two leading home-run hitters in the regular season, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, are a combined 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts in the series.

``I think the main thing is we've attacked those guys,'' Roberts said. ``We haven't been scared off using the fastball. I think we crowd them just enough. I think we go soft just enough. And I think we change eye level.''   

Thomson said he thought ``their timing's off a little bit right now... trying to do a little too much, the swings are a little bit bigger.   

``Gotta slow it down, turn the field around, think left-center,'' Thomson said. ``They're still going to pull the ball at times. But just stay on the ball a little bit better.''

Schwarber led the National League with 56 home runs while Harper hit 27, tied for 16th.  

Former Dodgers star Steve Garvey will throw the ceremonial first pitch.    The 6:08 p.m. game will be televised on TBS, streamed on HBO Max, broadcast in English by KLAC-AM (570) and in Spanish by KTNQ-AM (1020).