{"id":232050,"date":"2025-09-16T19:36:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T19:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/232050\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T19:36:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T19:36:23","slug":"dodgers-and-phillies-head-for-round-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/232050\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers and Phillies head for round two"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a while since I didn\u2019t feel completely frustrated after a loss, but that\u2019s where I\u2019m at today. While the Dodgers failed in their comeback attempt Monday night, there still were a whole bunch of positives.<\/p>\n

They hit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dodgers had 18 hits in Sunday\u2019s game against San Francisco. They halved that on Monday night, but who they hit its more important. Ranger Suarez came into the game having been lights out lately. They tagged him for three runs, including a homer from Max Muncy. Suarez left the game down 3-1. Andy Pages also tagged Johan Duran for a home run in the ninth inning. Duran this season has only allowed two homers \u2013 that one to Pages, and one in July to Shohei Ohtani.<\/p>\n

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Sheehan looked great<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last season, the Dodgers had to rely on at least one bullpen game a series on their way to winning it all. This year, the starters are probably what\u2019s going to get them deep into the playoffs if that happens. Emmet Sheehan will be a big part of that. The team used an opener for him, which didn\u2019t exactly go as planned with Anthony Banda allowing Kyle Schwarber to go deep right off the bat, but Sheehan then came in to deliver 5.2 innings of one run ball, allowing one hit and striking out seven. He shut down a very good Phillies offense for a good chunk of the game and will be a weapon in the bullpen if he continues that.<\/p>\n

Tanner Scott \u2013 back?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Dodger fan collectively groaned when Dave Roberts put Tanner Scott in the game in the ninth when the Phillies had a 5-4 lead. But he showed up this time, setting down the Philles 1-2-3 and keeping the game within one run which allowed Pages to tie it in the ninth.<\/p>\n

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Overall, it was a pretty decent game to start the series. The bats stayed going, Mookie Betts is continuing his Player of the Week status, and they kept battling. Worrisome that Jack Dryer, Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia gave up runs, but hopefully those are just blips. Blake Treinen, well, as we said yesterday, that has been happening all season.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers will face another tough pitcher in Cristopher Sanchez on Tuesday. He is 13-5 on the season with a 2.57 ERA. He has allowed exactly one run in each of his last three starts and has only walked nine batters in his last seven games. Sanchez has faced the Dodgers three times in his career, has a 2-0 record and 3.57 ERA. Teoscar Hernandez has homered twice against Sanchez, and Alex Call only has one hit against him, but that too was a homer.<\/p>\n

Shohei Ohtani will start for the Dodgers, and it will be a test to see how he looks against a playoff caliber team. He only went 3.2 innings in his last outing against the Baltimore Orioles, in what was a spot start after his own missed start in Pittsburgh. He should be back at full strength, and it would be good to see him go a full five innings.<\/p>\n

If there is any such thing as a positive loss, the Dodgers had one last night. The Phillies look like the team to beat in the playoffs this year, and the Dodgers were right with them. You can say \u201cyeah they should be!\u201d and you would be right, but the Dodgers have not looked like those Dodgers most of the season. They just need to carry this momentum forward and good things will happen.<\/p>\n

Tuesday game info<\/p>\n