The Dodgers still look like the team everybody else has to chase, but the cracks are starting to show.
For the Phillies, that matters. The club that knocked them out last October is dealing with a fresh wave of injury trouble, and the latest hit landed Friday night when Andy Pages was diagnosed with a fracture in his left hand. The errant pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler in the third inning is expected to keep Pages out for at least four weeks.
Pages had become a real weapon for Los Angeles. Since arriving early in the 2024 season, the Cuban-born center fielder built a reputation as a power bat with elite defense, and this year he took another step forward. He entered the injury setback with a .272/.338/.458 line and earned his first All-Star nod at age 25.
His absence only adds to a growing list of problems. Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, the team’s catching duo, are both sidelined with no return date. The pitching staff is missing Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski, Edwin Díaz and Blake Treinen, all of whom are dealing with injuries of their own.
The Dodgers are also getting less than expected from some of their biggest names. Mookie Betts, now playing everyday shortstop, has posted a .706 OPS.
Teoscar Hernández has matched that .706 OPS mark, and Phillies fans have their own reasons to remember his work in last October’s series. Kyle Tucker has been even quieter than that, putting up a .690 OPS and 0.0 bWAR across 121 contests.
Even with all of that, the Dodgers are still a monster. They’re 78-51 and hold a 9.0-game lead in the National League West.
Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani are still there at the top of their game, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is anchoring the rotation, and Tanner Scott has settled in as a rejuvenated closer. Los Angeles remains the favorite to win a third straight championship.
But the field around them can see the opening a little more clearly now. The Phillies pushed them hard in last year’s divisional round before losing in four games on a little league error. The Toronto Blue Jays also came inches from beating them in Game 7 of the World Series after carrying a lead into the ninth.
The Dodgers are not invincible. They just look more reachable than they did a few weeks ago, and that gives the Phillies something real to work with if they can get hot at the right time and take advantage of the holes that are opening up.
In Other News...
Cristopher Snchez Just Became The Phillies Most Intriguing Cy Young Story
Cristopher Snchez has quietly turned himself into one of the most compelling award stories in the National League, and ESPNs current AXE rankings now put the Phillies left-hander at the top of the Cy Young conversation. What makes that notable is not just the placement, but the profile behind it: Snchez has been valued for consistency and volume, working deep into games and piling up wins in a way that has given Philadelphia a dependable presence every fifth day.
The race is still far from settled, though, and the shape of the field only adds to the intrigue. Jacob Misiorowski brings the eye-catching numbers with his ERA and strikeout rate, Chris Sale remains in the mix, and the Phillies have three pitchers among the models top seven, which could make the voting picture even messier as the season continues. For Philadelphia, it is a strong sign of rotation depth, but it also leaves open a fascinating question about which arm ultimately separates itself when the ballots are cast. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Real Shot At A Huge October Edge
A National League Wild Card race that looked settled not long ago has tightened again, and the Phillies are suddenly right in the middle of it. Chicago dropped the first two games of its series against Seattle, while Philadelphia keeps stacking wins and has now strung together nine straight, the kind of surge that can change the tone of an October chase in a hurry.
Philadelphias latest push has been fueled by a sweep of St. Louis, with Kyle Schwarber providing more of the same power in the process. The Cubs still sit atop the Wild Card picture for now, but the margin is getting slimmer by the day, and the Phillies have done enough to turn a distant pursuit into a real threat with plenty of season left to sort it out. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Got Another Reminder The Phillies Are Heating Up
The Phillies have spent much of the second half looking like a club that finally settled in after an early stumble, and the surge has put real pressure back on the division race. Since the managerial switch from Rob Thomson to interim manager Don Mattingly, Philadelphia has gone 64-39 and trimmed the gap in the standings, turning a rocky opening into a stretch that has kept them squarely in the picture.
A pair of straight sweeps of the Marlins and Cardinals only added to the sense that the Phillies are playing their best baseball at the right time, and Bleacher Reports No. 5 ranking reflects that momentum. For the Braves, the larger issue is not just the number beside Philadelphias name, but the way the Phillies keep answering every chance to cool off and instead seem to be building more confidence as the race tightens. [Read more 🡒]