Photo: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies will kick off their postseason journey against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series (NLDS) on Saturday (October 4) at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies, who secured a first-round bye with the National League's second-best record, aim to reach the National League Championship Series (NLCS) for the third time in four years.
The Dodgers advanced to this stage after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series. Both teams are strong contenders for the World Series, with the Dodgers and Phillies holding the top odds for the championship, according to CBS Sports. Game one will feature a pitching duel between Shohei Ohtani for the Dodgers and Cristopher Sánchez for the Phillies. Ohtani, making his postseason pitching debut, has been building up his pitch count since returning from elbow surgery. Sánchez, a standout pitcher during the regular season, will lead the Phillies in the absence of ace Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from surgery.
The series will be broadcast on TBS, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:08 or 6:38 p.m. Eastern Time, depending on the outcome of the American League Wild Card Series. The Phillies have home-field advantage for the first two games of the best-of-five series. The Dodgers, who have consistently reached the Division Series for 13 consecutive years, will look to overcome their regular season losses to the Phillies, having dropped both series against them earlier in the year.