Snell’s Dominance Pushes Dodgers to Shocking 2-0 Advantage—Can Anyone Stop Them?

Has playoff baseball ever felt more like a high-wire act without a safety net? We’re diving right back into the heat today as the Dodgers eye a 2-0 stranglehold over the Phillies — and trust me, this isn’t your typical game day snooze fest. You know that jittery thrill when an ace like Blake Snell toes the rubber, and opposing hitters are practically sweating bullets in their cleats? Yeah, that kind of drama. Meanwhile, the Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo faces a nearly impossible climb, with his postseason numbers making you squint twice. It’s a classic showdown of sheer talent, clutch moments, and maybe, just maybe, a little luck tipping the scales. Will the Dodgers’ powerhouse arm and dangerous lineup grind out another win, or can Philly find that blast-the-ball adrenaline to turn the tide? Buckle up — if you blink, you’ll miss the twists. LEARN MORE.

Dodgers vs. Phillies, 6:08 ET

If you missed the baseball that came this weekend I think you missed out on some very exciting games. The American League has completed two games in both of its series, and the National League has done just one game. Today, the National League teams once again take the field in the best-of-five series. Playoff baseball is unlike anything else. I love it; the drama, the importance of it all, I love the strategy. Playoff baseball is great. Today we get two juggernauts taking each other on as the Dodgers look to go up 2-0 on the Phillies.

The Dodgers enter today’s game with the lead in the series, but to be honest, they didn’t play particularly well in the game. They got the big hit when needed which is the most important thing anyway. The Phillies opened the scoring against the Dodgers in the second inning. JT Realmuto hit a two-run triple off of Shohei Ohtani. He was driven in a couple of batters later with a sacrifice fly. That was all the scoring that the Phillies got for the game, though. In the sixth inning, the Dodgers finally broke the scoring open a bit. They gave up a double to Enrique Hernandez that brought in two runs. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they also then allowed a three-run bomb in the seventh that gave the Dodgers the lead for good. Ohtani ended up completing six innings before they handed the ball to starter-turned-reliever, Tyler Glasnow. He was a bit shaky, specifically in the 8th as he walked a hitter, allowed a single, then loaded the bases with another walk. After a pitching change, the Dodgers shut the door with Roki Sasaki, another starter they used out of the pen.

Today the Dodgers, who have an embarrassment of riches, bring another one of their arms to start the game. Blake Snell has been phenomenal for the Dodgers, and he is a tough out in his playoff history. In his career, he has made 13 postseason appearances and has a 3.23 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. In his one postseason start for the Dodgers, he went seven innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out nine Reds hitters. Snell faced the Phillies not too long ago, starting in September. In that game, Snell went seven scoreless innings while whiffing 12 hitters. Overall, the Phillies are hitting just .168 against Snell. The Philles are combating with Jesus Luzardo. I’m not quite as excited about him as he can be a bit of an inconsistent hitter. I do like Luzardo, and he had a good season with a 15-7 record, 3.92 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He has only made four postseason appearances and will likely have a short leash today. Luzardo has a 6.14 postseason ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. He was on the other side of Snell’s win against the Dodgers, and he allowed four earned runs over seven innings. He did face them earlier in the year as well, at home, and allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings.

This is a bad situation and matchup for the Phillies. No one has to look forward to facing Blake Snell, but going at him with Jesus Luzardo isn’t exactly an ideal situation. The Phillies strung together hits to score their runs, but I think they need to get lucky and mash the ball tonight if they are going to get a win. I think the Dodgers take this game as they have the better pitcher, and their lineup is still dangerous. Luzardo has been worse at home than on the road as well. I’m taking Los Angeles to go up 2-0.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024