8 Homers in 2 Games: The Dodgers Are Coming For The Phillies' Souls in Playoff Rematch

Alright, you Emerald City baseball maniacs, strap in! We’ve got a playoff rematch cooking up, and it's gonna be a firecracker. The Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling, absolutely soaring right now, even after getting absolutely hammered by injuries. They just dropped eight home runs in their last two games, won five straight, and are ready to host the Philadelphia Phillies in a series that kicks off Friday. You know what's at stake here, right? Pride, redemption, and a whole lot of dingers, hopefully!

Dodgers Powering Through the Pain

Seriously, what is in the water out there in LA? The Dodgers are losing guys left and right, but it ain't slowing them down one bit. This week alone, infielder Enrique Hernandez's elbow surgery comeback got cut short by an oblique injury, and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez went down with a hamstring. Brutal, right? But these guys are just shrugging it off. They pulled Alex Freeland up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and now Alex Call and Ryan Ward are gonna split time in left field. Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages summed it up, saying, "It's pretty frustrating for us. We have the opportunity to see them work hard every day and prepare so that those things don't happen. But [injuries are] going to happen all the time." But don't let the injuries fool you, these Dodgers are straight-up mashing the ball! Pages himself has been doing his part, hitting three homers in his last four games after getting moved up to the No. 2 spot in the order. They're on a team-wide power surge, as evidenced by those eight bombs in the last two games. They've won five straight and an insane 12 of their last 14 contests. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski, at 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA, is set to start the opener. He's had a rough go against Philly before, giving up five runs in just one out last season. He was 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA to start the season but has cooled to 1-2 with a 6.41 ERA in his last three outings. Can he step up?

Phillies Bringing the Heat and a Familiar Face

Now, let's talk about the Phillies, because they're not coming to Dodger Stadium to play nice. The last time they were in LA, it was a brutal exit from the National League Division Series, thanks to a wild throw home by right-hander Orion Kerkering that sealed the Dodgers' 2-1 series win in 11 innings. But Kerkering, bless his heart, seems to be using that as fuel, rocking a 2.21 ERA through 23 appearances this season. The Phillies just swept the Padres, only giving up three runs in that whole series! That's lockdown pitching, my friends. While Cristopher Sanchez won't pitch, despite his franchise-record 44 2/3-inning scoreless streak, they're still bringing the heat. Right-hander Zack Wheeler, at 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, is on his *own* scoreless streak! He didn't allow a run in his last two starts, including six scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the Cleveland Guardians last Saturday for the win. Wheeler's career numbers against the Dodgers sit at 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA in seven starts. Plus, get this, former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is back in town, leading the Phillies! He's turned their season around big time, with a 20-8 record since taking over a 9-19 team. He knows the Dodgers are champions, saying, "But we just got to play good baseball and take care of our own business and keep it simple. Usually, the team that plays the best baseball wins, so just look at it like that." This series is gonna be a clash of titans, folks. Can the Dodgers' power continue to defy injuries, or will the Phillies' pitching and Don Mattingly's revenge tour prevail? You better believe we'll be glued to every pitch.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.