NLDS Preview: Snell Looks to Continue Dodgers Win Streak and Push LA Up 2-0 in the NLDS

PHILADELPHIA, PA—After stealing Game One of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to go up two games to none over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. 

The Dodgers are playing their best baseball of the season. After Saturday night’s comeback win, the Dodgers have extended their win streak dating back to the regular season to eight games, and are undefeated in the postseason after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series and taking Game One of the NLDS.

Now, it’ll be up to Blake Snell, who has had great success against the Phillies throughout his career, to put up another win for Los Angeles while the Phillies look to avoid the devastating 0-2 series hole.

Both teams’ starters and bullpen should be fully rested after yesterday’s unusual offday, and with tomorrow being a travel day to Los Angeles, expect both sides to pitch their best, including guys like Roki Sasaki, Matt Strahm, and others.

Pitching Probables

Blake Snell (LHP) (5-4, 2.35 ERA) vs Jesús Luzardo (LHP) (15-7, 3.92 ERA)

On the mound for Los Angeles will be left-hander Blake Snell, who tossed seven dominant innings last Tuesday for Game One of the NL Wild Card Series.

Now, Snell will get an even greater task, and that is to handle this powerful Phillies lineup and try to push his team one step closer to a second straight National League Championship Series appearance.

Snell, throughout his career, has had modest results against the Phillies, going 1-3 with a 3.41 ERA and collecting forty-seven strikeouts in seven appearances.

However, it was his most recent outing on September 17th, consistently against Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo, where Snell had his best start as a Dodger, going seven full innings while punching out twelve Phillies in a shutout win at Chavez Ravine.

However, in three starts at Citizens Bank Park, Snell has only allowed three runs in 12.2 innings pitched (2.13 ERA) while opponents hit just .167 in those starts.

Taking the mound for the Phillies, hoping to avoid a 0-2 hole in the series, will be young lefty Jesús Luzardo, who has had success against the Dodgers in the past.

Overall, the lefty is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in six appearances against the Dodgers between his time as a Miami Marlin and two starts from this season against Los Angeles.

Like Snell, Luzardo’s last start against the Dodgers came on September 17th at Dodger Stadium, where the lefty allowed four earned runs in seven innings of work, but the lefty kept the Dodgers in check at the beginning of the season, where he tossed seven shutout innings in April at this ballpark.

Who to Watch

With the Phillies set to throw another left-handed starter at the Dodgers, their flurry of right-handed bats has to show up if they want to win Game Two and Three.

So, I’m going to go with the powerful right-handed bat of Teoscar Hernández as he looks to continue his hot postseason with the bat after belting three home runs so far.

In his career, Hernández is 3-for-8 with two extra base hits off Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo and has already came up big for the Dodgers this series against a lefty, hitting the go-ahead three-run bomb in Game One to put the Dodgers on top.

For the Phillies, I’m going with the top three hitters in their lineup: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper as that trio want a combined 1-for-11 in their Game One loss and if they want any hope of evening the series, they’ll need production of of them.

Where to Watch

The 2025 National League Division Series will be aired exclusively on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max at 3:08 PM PT (6:08 PM ET)

Betting Odds

The Dodgers aim to advance further toward the NLCS, while the Phillies seek to even the series with a victory. The Dodgers are favorites at -131 on the money line, with the Phillies at +111. Los Angeles is also favored on the run line, at -1.5 with +134 odds. The total runs for the game are set at 7.5, with -101 odds for going over and -120 odds for going under.

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