Cody Snavely
Game 9, 4/4/2025: Dodgers 2, Phillies 3
PHILADELPHIA—The Los Angeles Dodgers will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to take on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. They are looking to continue their undefeated season and extend their winning streak to nine games.
On the mound for the third time this year for the Dodgers is Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who diced up the Detroit Tigers with a career-high ten strikeouts his last time out.
Opposing the Dodgers for the Phillies is young left-hand starter Jesús Luzardo, who dazzled in his Phillies debut against the Washington Nationals, collecting eleven strikeouts.
The Phillies, wearing their iconic blue and yellow City Connect uniforms, would strike first in this one after a Dodgers 1-2-3 inning in the first courtesy of Trea Turner, who ran all over the Dodgers infield.
Turner, the former Dodgers shortstop, would get a one-out double and score on a wild throw from Yamamoto, who was caught sleeping, but an arrant throw past the veteran Rojas allowed Turner to score all the way from third base.
It would be a back-and-forth contest between Yamamoto and Luzardo, who matched each other pitch for pitch.
After a second-inning knock by Teoscar Hernández, Luzardo would retire the next thirteen Dodgers, having the streak only broken by a fifth-inning Andy Pages walk. However, Luzardo would get bailed out by a Pages baserunning blunder, getting caught in a rundown and ending the inning.
Despite the lack of run support on the mound this afternoon, Yamamoto was dominant and became the first Dodgers starting pitcher this season to pitch into the sixth inning and six complete innings.
The final line, six innings, zero earned runs, three hits, three walks, five strikeouts, twelve whiffs, and a 28 CSW%, his best start of the young season.
However, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Dodgers were given their best opportunity to score. After a bloop hit by Teoscar Hernández and a walk by Will Smith, there were runners at the corner for October hero Kiké Hernández.
Ultimately, the young lefty Luzardo would get Kiké to swing and miss on an offspeed pitch at his feet to end the inning and the threat.
It would be up to the Dodgers bullpen to keep the game close, and the first man up was Kirby Yates, who would walk Max Kepler on four pitches and give Nick Castellanos a double, bringing up veteran backstop J. T. Realmuto with runners at second and third and nobody out.
However, Yates would be unable to limit the damage after a Realmuto strikeout, allowing a soft hit RBI single to Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Dodgers would get yet another golden opportunity to score, getting a string of hits off of lefty bullpen arm Matt Strahm.
After a one-out single by Miguel Rojas and a two-out single by Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers would have runners at the corners for Mookie Betts, yet another clutch opportunity for the three-time World Series champion.
But, the moment was all but over before it got started after a costly mistake by three-time MVP award winner Shohei Ohtani got thrown out trying to swipe second base with two outs, ending the inning and the threat.
The Phillies bullpen closed it out in the ninth despite a two-run home run by Tommy Edman, winning the game 3-2 and handing the Dodgers their first loss of the 2025 regular season.
The Dodgers will look to rebound tomorrow with rookie right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki making his third start of his career and the first on the road. The first pitch is at 1:05 PM PT.
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