The Dodgers head to Philadelphia this week for a three-game set that brings together two of the National League’s top teams, and the pitching matchups are front and center from the start.
Los Angeles enters the series at 63-37 after taking two of three from the New York Yankees, a result that keeps them on top of baseball by a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers. Philadelphia sits at 55-45 after dropping a series to the lowly New York Mets. The Phillies are second in the NL East and hold the second wild-card spot.
These clubs already crossed paths once this season at Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers won two of three.
Monday’s opener sets the tone with a clear edge on the mound for Philadelphia. The Phillies will send out All-Star lefty Cristopher Sanchez against right-hander Emmet Sheehan.
Sheehan is 4-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 17 starts and 82.1 innings this season. He has been better lately, giving up five runs, four earned, across his last three outings, a stretch that covered 14.2 innings.
Sanchez, meanwhile, put together a first half that put him firmly in the Cy Young conversation. He finished the break at 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA, along with 144 strikeouts and 25 walks over 127.1 innings in 20 starts. He did cool off before the break, though, allowing 16 runs in his final four starts over 22.1 innings for a 6.45 ERA.
Tuesday brings a different look for the Dodgers with left-hander Eric Lauer on the hill against Zack Wheeler. Lauer, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in May, has been sharp in Los Angeles, going 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 40.1 innings. He was mentioned as a possible trade piece after Shohei Ohtani was removed from the rotation, but he likely stays put until he reaches free agency this offseason.
Wheeler has been one of the best arms in the sport all year, going 10-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 108 strikeouts over 93.1 innings. He saw the Dodgers in May and that outing was one of his roughest of the season, as he allowed four runs in six innings.
Wheeler was first left off the All-Star team, then declined the late invitation because he felt "disrespected." That decision opened the door for Justin Wrobleski to earn his first career All-Star nod.
Wrobleski gets the ball in Wednesday’s finale, and he arrives with plenty of momentum. The left-hander went 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA over 100.1 innings in the first half and was arguably the Dodgers’ most steady starter. He already handled the Phillies once this year, throwing seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts on May 29.
Philadelphia will counter with Aaron Nola, who has had a difficult season. He is 3-7 with a 5.68 ERA in 103 innings across 20 starts. Nola has allowed at least two runs in each of his last 13 starts and in all but two of his outings this season.
Monday’s game starts at 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m.
ET and will air on ESPN. Tuesday and Wednesday both begin at 3:40 p.m.
PT/6:40 p.m. ET.
Tuesday’s game will be on SportsNet LA, the MLB app and TBS, while Wednesday’s finale will be on SportsNet LA and the MLB app.
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