For the fourth time in his career, MLB Network named Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP, as the No. 1 player in baseball right now
The accolades never seem to end for Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP.
MLB Network named Ohtani, a four-time MVP, as the best player in baseball for the fourth time in his career. Ohtani was the No. 1 player heading in 2022 and 2023, before losing to Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2024, but then reclaimed it in 2025 and now 2026.
Ohtani has been with the Dodgers since he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the club on Dec. 11, 2023, where he has won back-to-back World Series with Los Angeles.
Across 158 games in 2025, Ohtani slashed .278/.392/.622 with a league-leading 1.014 OPS and 179 OPS+, 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a 7.5 fWAR at designated hitter. On the mound, Ohtani pitched 47.0 innings across 14 starts, with a 1-1 record, 2.87 ERA, an 11.87 K/9 and 1.72 BB/9. These numbers earned Ohtani his second consecutive National League MVP award.
During the Dodgers playoff run, Shohei won NLCS MVP for his performance against the Milwaukee Brewers, capped off with a three home run game at the plate and 6.0 IP, zero runs, two hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts on the mound in game four to complete the sweep. In the World Series, Ohtani slashed .333/.500/.778 with a 1.278 OPS, three home runs and nine RBIs as the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games
Remember when Shohei Ohtani hit 3 home runs and struck out 10 to punch the Dodgers’ ticket to the 2025 World Series? 🦄 pic.twitter.com/C7zVLhNTu6
Before the 2025 season, Ohtani had been off the pitching mound since August 2023 because Ohtani tore his UCL on Aug. 23, 2023 and got Tommy John surgery the following month, according to Yahoo Sports. This kept him off the mound for all of 2024 and for almost half of 2025.
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Despite not being able to pitch, Ohtani still produced at the plate in 2024, as he won his third MVP that year and became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, creating the “50-50 club,” according to Sporting News.
Ohtani made his pitching debut with the Dodgers on June 16 against the division rival San Diego Padres, where he pitched one inning. Since he was returning Ohtani from a major injury, Ohtani had to be built back up through the season, which is why he pitched just 47 innings. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said he expects to regularly use Ohtani as a starter, but it’s not going to be a regular five-man rotation.
“I don’t want to go down the six-man rotation road, but I do feel that giving him six, seven, eight days off to kind of allow him to continue to stay rested and build up, I think that’s in our process,” Roberts said during the 2025 Winter Meetings. “But again we have a long way to go, but we’ve got some viable candidates.”
Other Dodgers on the top 100 right now were: RHP Edwin Diaz at No. 83, LHP Blake Snell at No. 54, 1B Freddie Freeman at No. 22, OF Kyle Tucker at No. 21, C Will Smith at No. 20, SS Mookie Betts at No. 18 and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto at No. 13.
Dodgers pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training on Feb. 13, and opening day is March 26, but fans can watch Ohtani sooner than that as he will play for Team Japan during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team Japan’s first game is on March 6 against Team Chinese Taipei.
The Dodgers narrowly escape the bottom of the ninth
Blake Snell allowed two Toronto baserunners, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to bring in Yoshinobu Yamamoto a day after he threw 96 pitches in a Game 6 victory. Yamamoto hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, loading the bases, before the Dodgers escaped with two helter-skelter defensive plays.
With the infield playing in to prevent the winning run, Rojas fielded Daulton Varsho’s grounder to second base and nearly fell over. He gathered himself and threw home, but the toss briefly pulled Smith off the plate. Smith’s toe barely reconnected with the plate in time to get the forceout, a call confirmed by video review.
Then center fielder Andy Pages, who had just been inserted off the bench to provide better defense, collided with left fielder Kiké Hernández while catching Ernie Clement’s long fly on the left-center warning track. Pages held on for the final out of the inning despite knocking Hernández to the ground.
The Dodgers narrowly escape the bottom of the ninth
Blake Snell allowed two Toronto baserunners, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to bring in Yoshinobu Yamamoto a day after he threw 96 pitches in a Game 6 victory. Yamamoto hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, loading the bases, before the Dodgers escaped with two helter-skelter defensive plays.
With the infield playing in to prevent the winning run, Rojas fielded Daulton Varsho’s grounder to second base and nearly fell over. He gathered himself and threw home, but the toss briefly pulled Smith off the plate. Smith’s toe barely reconnected with the plate in time to get the forceout, a call confirmed by video review.
Then center fielder Andy Pages, who had just been inserted off the bench to provide better defense, collided with left fielder Kiké Hernández while catching Ernie Clement’s long fly on the left-center warning track. Pages held on for the final out of the inning despite knocking Hernández to the ground.
(CNN) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a contract ahead of the 2024 season worth $325 million over 12 years.
He had never thrown a pitch in Major League Baseball. But the Los Angeles Dodgers had enough money to take that kind of risk, making the bet that such an insane amount of money will eventually be worth it.
The Los Angeles Dodgers began play on Friday with their backs against the wall, facing a roaring Rogers Centre crowd as the Toronto Blue Jays were one win away from their first title in 32 years. They had just lost two straight games at home in Chavez Ravine and it seemed like time was about to run out on their dynasty claim.
Enter Yamamoto.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning in Game 7. Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
He shutdown the Blue Jays again on Friday, going six innings and allowing five hits and just one run while striking out six. It was his second victory of the series.
But that achievement paled in comparison to what he did in Game 7.
Pitching on roughly 24 hours of rest, Yamamoto entered the game in the most intense of situations. The Blue Jays had two men on base, needing just one run to win the championship. On his second pitch, he hit Alejandro Kirk and loaded the bases. There was no room for error.
He forced a ground ball to Miguel Rojas, the man who tied the game with a home run in the top of the ninth, who fired home and got Isiah Kiner-Falefa by an inch. Facing Ernie Clement, who tied the postseason record for most hits in a single playoffs, he forced a popout and ended the threat.
In the 10th, he put the Blue Jays down in order. In the 11th, he allowed a double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a walk to Addison Barger, putting runners on first and third with one out. With one last nasty splitter, he shattered Alejandro Kirk’s bat and forced a game ending double play.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with teammate Will Smith after the team defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7. Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press / AP via CNN Newsource
It was his third win of the World Series. It was baseball heroics. It might change the course of his career – starting pitchers are not meant to pitch on such little rest in such high-leverage situations. But it was the stuff legends are made of and no Dodgers fan will ever forget it.
“He was the MVP of this series. That was incredible,” catcher Will Smith said. “I talked to him yesterday and was like ‘Hey, if you can give one, we can win.’ He gave us three. That was special. He will have a few months off, I know he’s going to need it. I’m just happy for him.”
His manager, Dave Roberts, put it more succinctly.
“Yamamoto’s the GOAT!” he yelled repeatedly on the Fox broadcast, using the abbreviation for Greatest of All Time.
That might be a stretch to say at this point in the Japanese star’s career, but it’s undisputed that his World Series will go down as one of the greatest in baseball history. Winning three games in a single World Series hasn’t been done since Randy Johnson did it in 2001. And he almost got in a fourth game – he was warming up in the 18th inning of Game 3 when Freddie Freeman went deep to give the Dodgers the win, just two days after he pitched a complete game.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto raises his World Series MVP trophy. Credit: Ashley Landis / AP via CNN Newsource
He’s now in the same conversation as pitchers such as Bob Gibson, Christy Mathewson and Mickey Lolich. It’s telling that only six pitchers have accomplished the feat since World War II.
The kind of toughness and grit that it takes to do what Yamamoto did on Saturday – and early Sunday – can’t be overstated.
Starting pitchers are creatures of habit. They start their game and then spend the next four days recovering, resting and following a dedicated routine that gets them ready to pitch on the fifth day. They repeat that cycle through the season, over and over from March until October.
And when they pitch, it’s a more strategic task than what relievers often go through. Starting pitchers have to face the same batters two or three times, forming a game plan to keep hitters guessing and then executing it. Reliever often come into a game aiming to overpower hitters with their stuff, either velocity or wicked movement, and use full effort on most pitches.
Starters don’t always make good relievers, but somehow when the games get to be the most important, managers always put their top guys on the mound whether they want to be there or not.
Yamamoto most certainly wanted the ball.
“I was not sure if I could pitch tonight until I went to the bullpen, but I’m glad I was able to,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter when asked about his superhuman effort pitching on back-to-back nights.
He went two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing one hit and striking out one batter. He lowered his ERA for the postseason to a paltry 1.45 and held opposing hitters to a .143 batting average in five starts and one relief appearance.
For all the ink spilled about his teammate Shohei Ohtani’s two-way prowess and the two incredible games that he had in the NLCS and Game 3 of the World Series, Yamamoto’s performance is arguably more connected to baseball’s glorious past.
A complete game victory in Game 2, followed by volunteering for relief duty two days later. Then another six-inning performance, followed by two-plus innings of clutch relief pitching less than a day later.
It’s the kind of stuff October legends are made of.
Yamamoto, as is his wont, approached that rarefied air with humility.
“I did everything I was supposed to do, and I’m so happy that I was able to win this with these teammates,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter.
Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles.Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.Video above: Dodgers celebrate World Series win with fans during downtown Los Angeles parade in 2024Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.Video below: Japanese media cover Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.Seranthony Domínguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
TORONTO, ON —
Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles.
Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.
Video above: Dodgers celebrate World Series win with fans during downtown Los Angeles parade in 2024
Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.
He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.
With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.
Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.
Ashley Landis
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith celebrates his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 11th inning in Game 7 of baseball’s World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto.
Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.
Video below: Japanese media cover Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.
Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.
Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.
He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.
Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.
Seranthony Domínguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.
The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles.Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.Video above: Dodgers celebrate World Series win with fans during downtown Los Angeles parade in 2024Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.Video below: Japanese media cover Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.Seranthony Domínguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
TORONTO, ON —
Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles.
Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.
Video above: Dodgers celebrate World Series win with fans during downtown Los Angeles parade in 2024
Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.
He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.
With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.
Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.
Ashley Landis
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith celebrates his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 11th inning in Game 7 of baseball’s World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto.
Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.
Video below: Japanese media cover Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.
Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.
Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.
He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.
Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.
Seranthony Domínguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.
The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
The Phillies are still alive, at least for one more night.
Kyle Schwarber finally connected on his swing and launched two homers into the seats, Ranger Suárez was aces in relief, and though it took the Dodgers handing them a few more golden opportunities, the Phillies’ bats eventually piled on.
They took Game 3 of the NLDS in an 8-2 blowout over at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. They’re still trailing the best-of-five series, 2-1, but the important thing right now is that the Phillies are still playing.
They’re still breathing.
Here’s how…
The Good
• It took until the fourth inning of Game 3, stuck in an 0-for-23 drought and with the Phillies’ backs completely against the wall, but Kyle Schwarber finally got one.
L.A.’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto left a 2-0 fastball up in the zone, Schwarber got the barrel around to it, and as soon as the pitch cracked off the bat, it was never a question of if it was gone; it was a question of how far it was going.
Schwarber obliterated a solo home run 455 feet into Dodger Stadium’s right-field concourse to put his mark on the series after going quiet through Games 1 and 2.
He also tied the game up 1-1 after an opening three innings where the Phillies were struggling to get a read on Yamamoto, and the heart of the order followed behind him and started patching something together.
• Bryce Harper, who had also been struggling to make contact, followed Schwarber up with a base hit and went first to third on a slow-rolling single into center from Alec Bohm right after.
It was a risky call, but it hurried a throw from outfielder Andy Pages, who was caught off guard and rushed an ensuing bad decision that bounced past Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and into the L.A. dugout.
Harper was free to take home on the error. Bohm, who had rushed around to second in the chaos, was awarded third, then scored on a Brandon Marsh sac fly to left.
The Phillies took a 3-1 lead and some heavy momentum that piled on with a ground-rule double from J.T. Realmuto. They needed that, but the rally halted quickly after, on a Max Kepler flyout and a Nick Castellanos strikeout to let Yamamoto get away.
• Ranger Suárez was everything the Phillies needed on Wednesday night. That first-pitch homer he gave up to Tommy Edman after he took over for Aaron Nola in the third wasn’t ideal, but the lefty didn’t let it snowball.
Instead, he posted five innings of one-hit, one-run ball in relief, with four strikeouts and just a walk. Edman’s solo homer was kept to the only damage done, and while it did look a bit dicey at other points, clutch plays like Bryson Stott’s underhanded double-play setup to end the sixth kept the Phillies away from trouble.
It was a big-time outing, in potentially what could’ve been Suárez’s last appearance as a Phillie, but the curtain hasn’t fallen just yet.
• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts really seemed to try to hand the Phillies Game 2 back at Citizens Bank Park. Rob Thomson and his club just bafflingly refused to take it, which sent them to L.A. in the 2-0 hole.
On Wednesday night, Roberts gave them another chance. Longtime lefty Clayton Kershaw, in his farewell season, was called on in relief for the seventh, and thanks to a base-running blunder from Schwarber (see below), the 37-year-old escaped a jam and kept the Phillies to just that 3-1 lead they put together in the fourth.
Then Roberts decided to leave Kershaw out there for the eighth. What he thought was going to happen? Who knows, but here’s what did…
J.T. Realmuto homered immediately, Max Kepler drew a walk, Nick Castellanos reached on a fielding error by Max Muncy at third, then after a sac bunt from Stott to move the runners up, Trea Turner looped a base hit to score both runners and put the Phillies up, 6-1.
If you thought that would be a night for Kershaw right there, uhh…no. He stayed in to face Schwarber. Schwarber crushed his second homer of the night, a two-run shot, for an 8-1 lead. That was game, as the seats in Dodger Stadium rapidly emptied out.
Again, who knows what Roberts was thinking, but it gave the Phillies another day.
The Bad
• The bottom of the first was an immediate rollercoaster for the Phillies.
Aaron Nola had his velocity, hitting 95 mph with his fastball, and got Shohei Ohtani to fly out for the first out.
Then Mookie Betts stepped up to the plate and worked into a 2-2 count after five pitches. On the sixth, Nola fired another 95 mph fastball, but left it right over the plate. Betts got a hold of the ball and lined it into center.
Marsh ran to it, and had he tracked it down and played it on the hop, a runner would be on, but only from a very manageable one-out single.
Marsh made a decision, though, and tried diving after the ball for the out. He missed. It went rolling to the wall as he lay there, and Nick Castellanos in right was slow to back up the play, which sent Betts storming off to third for the triple.
A runner was in scoring position, which hasn’t been anywhere close to a comfortable scenario to have Nola in all year. He pushed through and struck out Teoscar Hernández in four pitches for the second out, but then hit Freddie Freeman with a 0-1 knuckle curve that didn’t break to put runners at the corners.
Tanner Banks got up in the bullpen and started warming up.
Nola fought back for a huge strikeout of Will Smith looking on a full count to get the Phillies out unscathed. But from the jump, they were teetering on disaster, and after Nola had burnt through 22 pitches with movement going on in the pen, it was clear he only had so long.
• Nola returned for the second and put up a quick 1-2-3 inning, but that was as far as he was going after only 31 pitches, that lone triple allowed, the hit by pitch, and three strikeouts.
Suárez finally came in from the bullpen for his first appearance all series, but on the lefty’s very first pitch to start the third, Tommy Edman took him yard.
The Phillies, in a do-or-die, were working from behind, 1-0. They would have to climb back to survive.
Suárez turned it around quickly with a groundout of Ohtani, a lineout of Betts, and another groundout from Hernández to escape, but not before the Dodgers struck that first run. Still, he went on to recover beautifully.
• The Phillies, starting with Schwarber’s missile of a homer, finally got to Yamamoto in the fourth. In the fifth, they chased him from the game and looked like they were about to go on another rally, but stopped themselves short.
Stott singled in the nine hole, Turner followed with a base hit of his own in the next at-bat, and the two executed a double steal of second and third to put runners in scoring position with no one out.
Schwarber was up, and Roberts took that as his cue to take the ball from Yamamoto and hand it off to reliever Anthony Banda.
This was a crucial opportunity for the Phils to build up insurance, but Schwarber struck out swinging on a full count, Harper flied out on the first pitch to shallow right to hold the runners, and after the Dodgers elected to intentionally walk Bohm to load the bases, Banda had Marsh at the plate in the lefty-on-lefty matchup.
Marsh, who has notoriously been incapable of handling left-handed pitching, went down swinging on three pitches to let the Dodgers out of the jam.
• Worse yet, they let the Dodgers exploit that matchup a second time.
In the seventh, L.A. called to Kershaw out of the pen. Turner immediately singled off him, Schwarber drew a walk, and Harper lined out to right, but it was a pretty well-hit ball that Hernández couldn’t get a read on until the last second.
Then, with Bohm back at the plate, Schwarber gave Kershaw and the Dodgers a gift.
A breaking pitch spun into the dirt and got away from catcher Will Smith, but he recovered it and Schwarber caught himself between committing to the steal of second and retreating back to first.
He had nowhere to go.
Smith made the throw to first, and Freddie Freeman tagged him up for the second out. Turner took third in the process, but Roberts recognized that the Dodgers could intentionally walk Bohm again and have the lefty Kershaw take his chances against Marsh.
Marsh battled to a 2-2 count, but he flied out to Hernández in right with little concern this time.
The Dodgers were let off scot-free again, and this one could’ve stood to really haunt the Phillies…
Had Roberts not stuck with Kershaw for the eighth. He really gave that gift right back to them with that call.
The End?
• Not just yet. Game 4 is Thursday night back at Dodger Stadium.
The Phillies are still breathing, and Cristopher Sánchez will get another turn up against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow.
Kyle Schwarber exploded from his 0-for-22 slump with two home runs, the first a 455-foot ‘Schwarbomb’ that sparked the Philadelphia Phillies as they staved off elimination with an 8-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 of their National League Division Series on Wednesday night.
The loss was the Dodgers’ first since Sept. 23 in Arizona, ending a nine-game winning streak that included their first four postseason games this year. They have another chance to close out the series at home with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Tyler Glasnow is expected to start for the Dodgers.
Schwarber and Bryce Harper had gone a combined 1 for 15 in the first two games of this series. They had four hits, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored in Game 3.
The National League’s home run leader with 56 during the regular season – and the only possible threat to Shohei Ohtani winning a fourth league MVP award – Schwarber had started this series 0 for 7 with five strikeouts after ending the season hitless in his last 14 at-bats with eight more strikeouts.
He grounded out harmlessly in his first at-bat against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Leading off the fourth inning, though, Schwarber got a 2-and-0 fastball up over the plate and destroyed it. The ball left his bat at an Ohtani-like 117.2 mph and wasn’t seen again until it had cleared the right field pavilion roof an estimated 455 feet from home plate.
Prior to that swing, the Phillies were hanging their hopes on powder-blue retro uniforms and escaping a hostile home environment where apparently the fans are too mean to them.
But Schwarber’s blast gave them life. Bryce Harper (1 for his first 7 in the series) followed with a single and Alec Bohm made it three consecutive hits when he singled to center field.
When Harper charged toward third base on Bohm’s hit, Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages made a poor throw that bounced through third base, allowing Harper to score. The throw bounded into the dugout, allowing Bohm to go to third base and score on Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice fly.
When Yamamoto gave up back-to-back singles in the fifth inning, his night was done. It was his shortest outing since failing to complete four innings against the New York Yankees on June 1.
The Phillies, meanwhile, were met with skepticism and criticism on the Philadelphia airwaves after Manager Rob Thomson announced Aaron Nola, not Ranger Suarez as the Game 3 starter.
Unlike the Philly fan base, the Dodgers did not overreact to the decision, going with a lineup that looked more set for the lefty Suarez than the righty Nola.
It was the appropriate call – Nola lasted just two innings, essentially an extended opener for Suarez. The Dodgers had him on the ropes with a one-out triple by Mookie Betts in the first but they didn’t score until Tommy Edman hit Suarez’s first pitch of the night in the third inning over the wall in left field.
Thomson’s combo-platter strategy might not have drawn the lineup reaction the Phillies were going for – but it got the results they needed. Nola and Suarez combined to allow just Edman’s run in their combined seven innings.
The Dodgers put two runners on with two outs in the fourth but Andy Pages popped out. They got two on with one out in the sixth but Max Muncy bounced into a double play.
By the time Suarez handed the ball off to the bullpen in the eighth inning, the Phillies had started their fall raking, scoring five times on five hits – including home runs by JT Realmuto and Schwarber again (this time a wall-scraper) – off of Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw was pitching in the postseason for the first time since Game 1 of the 2023 NLDS and making his first postseason relief appearance since Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS. Neither of those went well either.
Ben Verbrugge is a freelance sportswriter with a journalism degree from CSU Dominguez Hills. He is a member of the Los Angeles media and spends most of his time covering the NBA, NFL, and MLB. When not writing, he is either playing or watching sports.
🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers will face Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Dodgers are on a mission to win back-to-back championships, and so far during the postseason, they appear to be the best team in baseball once again. They hold a 2-0 lead over Philadelphia and can advance to the NLCS with a win on Wednesday night.
The bats at the top of the order have been quiet for the Phillies as the first three hitters in the lineup have combined to go 1-15 through the first two games. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber are some of the most feared players in the league, but they will face a tough test in Game 3 facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto is one of several All-Star-level pitchers in the Dodgers’ rotation, and he has made a name for himself delivering in big games just two seasons into his MLB career. He has given up 1 run or fewer in 6 consecutive starts, and if he can do so again, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman will likely take care of the rest.
This is a fantastic MLB matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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These two offenses are very similar – first and third in the National League in batting average, second and third in on-base percentage, first and third in slugging percentage, first and second in OPS. Both have a power trio at the top of their lineup – Trea Turner, NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and former MVP Bryce Harper for Philly, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for the Dodgers – and a dangerous supporting cast.
“Baseball is a timing game. Does the long layoff ruin that?” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said in 2023 after the Dodgers’ offense was a no-show in back-to-back first-round playoff defeats following the bye break.
“Look, it’s hard. I mean, pitching maybe not so much, but obviously offensively these guys are so used to playing every day. So I get it. Extra teams and more money, all that stuff (led to the bye format). I get it. But I do think that – I’m not a hitter, but it does seem like it’s a bit of a challenge for guys.”
Adding to the challenge for the Phillies, Turner missed three weeks in September with a hamstring injury and returned only for the regular-season finale. The Dodgers will still have to match the Phillies’ firepower. Another similarity between the two teams – both are particularly potent at their home ballparks. That could be decisive for the Phillies, who have home-field advantage in the best-of-five series. EDGE: PHILLIES
STARTING PITCHERS
PHILLIES: LH Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA, 202 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 9.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Ranger Suarez (12-8, 3.20, 1.22 WHIP, 8.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 9.3 Ks per 9 IP)
The Dodgers faced the Phillies’ top three (healthy) starters – Cy Young Award candidate Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez – during their series at Dodger Stadium just a little over two weeks ago. They got to them for 11 runs in 20 innings. The fact that all three are left-handed would seem to be an advantage for the Phillies, nullifying three of the Dodgers’ key hitters – Ohtani, Freeman and Max Muncy. But Ohtani and Freeman aren’t your typical left-handed hitters. Their splits are fairly even and the Dodgers actually had the best slugging percentage and OPS and second-best batting average against left-handed pitching in the NL this year. The late-season rebirths of Betts and Teoscar Hernandez have been a big part of that.
Ohtani and Blake Snell also pitched during that September series against the Phillies. Neither gave up a run. Ohtani didn’t give up a hit in his five-inning start. The Dodgers will ask all of their starters to go deep in games in order to minimize the Phillies’ play time against their bullpen. EDGE: DODGERS
PROJECTED BULLPEN
PHILLIES: RH Jhoan Duran (7-6, 2.06, 32 saves, 5 blown saves, 1.10 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP with Twins and Phillies), RH David Robertson (2-0, 4.08 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tanner Banks (6-2, 1 save, 3.07 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 8.2 Ks per 9 IP), RH Orion Kierkering (8-4, 4 saves, 3.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.8 Ks per 9 IP), RH Walker Buehler (10-7, 4.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 6.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Matt Strahm (2-3, 6 saves, 2.74 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Jordan Romano (2-4, 8 saves, 8.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 9.9 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tim Mayza (0-0, 3.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Taijuan Walker (5-8, 1 save, 4.08 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 6.3 Ks per 9 IP)
DODGERS: LH Tanner Scott (1-4, 23 saves, 10 blown saves, 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.5 Ks per 9 IP), RH Blake Treinen (2-7, 2 saves, 5.40 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 12.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Alex Vesia (4-2, 5 saves, 3.02 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jack Dreyer (3-2, 4 saves, 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Roki Sasaki (1-1, 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.9 Ks per 9 IP in 10 appearances, 8 starts), RH Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.9 Ks per 9 IP in 15 appearances, 12 starts), LH Anthony Banda (5-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Edgardo Henriquez (2-1, 1 save, 2.37 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.5 Ks per 9 IP)
The Phillies’ bullpen hasn’t been great this season either. Unlike Andrew Friedman, though, Dave Dombrowski pulled the trigger on a big move at the trade deadline, acquiring a new closer in Jhoan Duran. Duran has been good but not impregnable (16 saves, three blown saves) and the setup crew in front of him is unimpressive. Displaced starters like Taijuan Walker, Aaron Nola and former Dodger Walker Buehler (released by the Boston Red Sox in August) could play roles. EDGE: EVEN
BENCH
PHILLIES: IF Edmundo Sosa (.276/.307/.469, 11 HRs, 39 RBIs), OF Max Kepler (.216/.300/.391, 18 HRs, 52 RBIs), C Rafael Marchan, .210/.282/.305, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs), IF Otto Kemp (.234/.298/.411, 8 HRs, 28 RBIs), IF-OF Weston Wilson (.198/.282/.369, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs)
DODGERS: C Will Smith (.296/.404/.497, 17 HRs, 61 RBIs), OF Michael Conforto (.199/.305/.333, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs), IF Hyeseong Kim (.280/.314/.385, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, 13 SBs), C Dalton Rushing (.204/.258/.324, 4 HRs, 24 RBIs), OF Alex Call (.267/.361/.385, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs with Dodgers and Nationals)
The Dodgers carried three catchers for the Wild Card Series when Will Smith showed he had recovered enough from his hand injury to at least pinch-hit. They didn’t use Smith against the Reds, giving him a few more days to get his hand back to full strength for this series. Look for him to get back in the starting lineup at some point early in the NLDS, particularly with an extra off day between Games 1 and 2.
The Phillies, meanwhile, will platoon some with their outfield, using the left-handed Max Kepler instead of the right-handed Nick Castellanos. Both are power threats (though Castellanos had a down year). EDGE: DODGERS
DODGERS: Dave Roberts, 10th season, 944-576, .621, 10th postseason 58-44, .569 (4 pennants, 2 World Series titles)
Relievers have been dropping from Dave Roberts’ “trust tree” like fall leaves. He showed you what he thinks of that group when he pulled Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez each after the minimum three batters in the eighth inning of Game 1 against the Reds then yanked a shaky Emmet Sheehan in the middle of an at-bat in Game 2. October is no time to be patient and Roberts will have to continue that aggressive managing to avoid his bullpen sabotaging the Dodgers’ postseason.
Thomson made his mark in 2022 when he took over a 22-29 team from fired manager Joe Girardi and led them to a 65-46 record as interim manager. That Phillies team got to the World Series (and lost to the Houston Astros), securing the full-time job for Thomson, who has led them to four consecutive playoff spots and back-to-back NL East titles. EDGE: DODGERS
SERIES PREDICTION
A year ago, the Dodgers faced the Padres in the NLDS and Roberts later said “that was the World Series” for the Dodgers. The Padres were the best team the Dodgers faced during their run to a World Series championship. The same thing might be true of this Phillies team if the Dodgers can get past them. The two teams are very similar offensively, have strong starting pitching and bullpens that are their weakest groups. The Dodgers haven’t played particularly well at Citizens Bank Park recently – they have lost seven of their nine games there over the past three seasons. Underperforming for two months in midseason – they were 22-32 from July 4 into early September – cost them a shot at one of the top two seeds in the NL and home-field advantage. The Phillies had the best home record in baseball this season (55-26). That could be the decisive factor in this close-call matchup. PHILLIES IN FIVE
Los Angeles put away the Cincinnati Reds, 8-4, on Wednesday night to take their NL Wild Card Series in a 2-0 sweep. They’ll be on their way to Philadelphia.
Star left-hander Cristopher Sánchez is set to take the mound for the Phillies. Two-way megastar Shohei Ohtani, since he didn’t pitch in the Wild Card round, is likely to get his turn for the Dodgers in Game 1 now instead.
The Phillies won the regular season series over the Dodgers, 4-2, which earned them the postseason tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed and the right to a bye into the NLDS had their 96-66 record not proved enough.
The latter part of that series also included the Phillies clinching their NL East title and taking two of three games over in LA the last time the two clubs met midway through September.
None of that is to say that the Phillies have an outright advantage, though.
The Dodgers are coming in with a ton of star power between Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the two-way, game-breaking force that is Ohtani, and all as the defending World Series champions.
That said, the Phillies are bringing their heavy hitters, too.
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Bryce Harper and the Phillies’ journey to a World Series will have to go through the defending champion Dodgers.
Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, and Jesús Luzardo make up a lefty-heavy, though just as dominant starting rotation in the face of the club having lost longtime ace Zack Wheeler for the year due to a blood clot.
At the plate, Trea Turner leads off as the NL batting champion, Kyle Schwarber waits in the wings as the MVP-caliber power hitter who is always ready to launch a ball into the seats, and then, as always, there’s Bryce Harper, who lives to make the moment in October.
Yamamoto had dinner at Mets owner Steve Cohen’s house Saturday night, a source told SNY’s Andy Martino, marking the team’s second meeting with the Japanese starting pitcher. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner reportedly attended as well.
Yamamoto remains MLB’s most sought-after free agent after a standout seven-year career in the Nippon Professional Baseball, where he went 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts over 897 innings.
Armed with a mid-90s fastball, elite curveball and sharp splitter, the right-handed Yamamoto would slot toward the top of a Mets rotation that doesn’t currently feature much behind Kodai Senga – a 2023 All-Star who signed from Japan last offseason – and veteran Jose Quintana.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains MLB’s most sought-after free agent after a standout seven-year career in the Nippon Professional Baseball, where he went 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts over 897 innings. In this photo, Yamamoto pitches during the World Baseball Classic game between Japan and Australia at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on March 12, 2023. (RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
“Our reports are that this guy’s really good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Yamamoto. “The industry sees it the same way, and it feels like there’s gonna be a lot of suitors for him. But I feel quite confident that he’s going to come over here and be a really special top-of-the-rotation-type pitcher.”
Yamamoto would be the second marquee addition this offseason by the Yankees, who traded for superstar outfielder Juan Soto. The Yankees are coming off a season in which they finished 82-80, their worst record in three decades.
The Mets, meanwhile, went 75-87 in 2023 despite a historic payroll around $360 million. They traded co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during the season, contributing to the voids in their rotation.
“I try not to look at as selling, I try to look at as providing information about who we are as an organization, and what we want to do and what we want to become,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said after his organization’s initial meeting with Yamamoto. “This is a big decision for any free agent — where to sign. They deserve to have all the information they need to make the most informed decision and the right decision for them and their family.”
Stearns and Cohen flew to Japan before this month’s MLB Winter Meetings to speak with Yamamoto. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman visited Japan in September and watched Yamamoto hurl a no-hitter.
“It was just a really enjoyable experience,” Cashman recalled at the Winter Meetings. “The fact that it was a no-hitter was really spectacular. It’s special whether you see that in high school, college or the pro ranks. It made my trip worthwhile flying all that way to watch the artistry play out.”
