LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are set to begin one of their most important series of the season, a three-game clash with the Philadelphia Phillies that could serve as a preview of October baseball. While the calendar still shows September, manager Dave Roberts knows full well the significance of the challenge in front of his club.
“This is a different test in the sense of, you know, obviously another playoff caliber team,” Roberts said pregame. “It’s a veteran-laden team from all aspects.” The Dodgers, fresh off a strong finish to their series in San Francisco, will now have to contend with one of the National League’s most complete rosters.
Testing the Lineup Against Lefties
One wrinkle in this matchup is Philadelphia’s reliance on left-handed starters. The Dodgers will see Ranger Suárez in the opener, followed by other southpaws as the series progresses. For Roberts, the key is making sure his hitters remain disciplined. “Ranger’s a field guy. He’s got really good command. He changes his speeds well. He pitches to the edges,” the manager explained. “For our guys, just to continue to keep short swings and not get too big and understand that count and leverage doesn’t mean he’s going to give in. So this is going to be a good test for our discipline tonight.”
The Dodgers struggled at times this season with left-handed pitching, but Roberts believes the lessons from facing Giants ace Logan Webb over the weekend can be applied here. “What we did with Webb, this is sort of like Webb from the left side,” he said. “I think our guys understand that.”
Pitching Plans in Motion
On the pitching side, the Dodgers are lining things up carefully. Roberts confirmed that left-hander Anthony Banda would play a meaningful role in the series, particularly when it comes to matchups against lefty-heavy stretches of the Phillies’ lineup. “The way they structure their lineup just to get him on some lefties I think makes sense,” Roberts said. “And he’s done it before.”
Emmet Sheehan is also being tasked with a flexible role. “Emmet’s come out of the pen before, whether it’s a piggyback situation,” Roberts noted. “We feel that it just gives (him) the best chance to take down more outs in this particular game.” That flexibility could prove vital if these two teams meet again in a high-stakes playoff series.
No Room for Gamesmanship
The natural question was asked: given the likelihood of seeing Philadelphia in October, would the Dodgers try to hide some strategies in this series? Roberts shot that notion down immediately. “I think with where we’re at, I’m trying to win every game,” he said. “I don’t think that we have the luxury of kind of, you know, playing that game right now.”
That urgency has been evident in recent days. After uneven stretches throughout the summer, the Dodgers’ offense showed life against San Francisco, delivering timely hits and demonstrating patience at the plate. Roberts thinks the message has gotten through. “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “And then I think with that, you can still get some slug.”
Eyes on October
While the immediate task is taking on the Phillies, the postseason is never far from anyone’s mind. The Dodgers are still sorting out which pitchers will make the playoff roster. “I think it’s very fluid,” Roberts admitted. “The goal is to get the 13 best pitchers, yes. But I think that a little bit of the fluidity is the potential opponent and how guys are throwing in the recent part of it.”
The return of Brock Stewart could be a big factor. Roberts outlined a plan for Stewart to pitch twice in this series if healthy. “If Brock comes back healthy and right, he’s going to go on Tuesday. He’ll go tomorrow night. He’ll go Thursday. And then, if all goes well, then we have a conversation over the weekend,” Roberts explained. “With his ability to pitch well and manage right, it could be very helpful. We need it.”
Seeding Secondary, Wins Primary
As for the battle for playoff seeding, Roberts isn’t putting much stock in hypotheticals. The Dodgers remain in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the National League, which would secure a first-round bye, but Roberts won’t be caught scoreboard-watching. “I think we’re going to try to win as many games as we can. Where it falls out is where it falls out,” he said. “I just kind of just want to just win games and see where it all plays out.”
A Preview of What’s to Come
With the Phillies looming as a potential October opponent, this week’s games carry extra weight. Roberts emphasized that for all the talk of strategy, seeding, and postseason rosters, the real focus is on execution. “I think it’s fair to say you want your best 13 [pitchers],” he said. “But you also want to win every game you can right now.”
For the Dodgers, the next few nights at Chavez Ravine won’t decide the season, but they could provide a telling glimpse of how well this team stacks up against one of the NL’s best. Roberts summed it up simply: “This is going to be a good test.”
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