Game Preview: Dodgers Head to Philadelphia to Face First-Place Phillies

Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies

Time: 4:05 PM PT

Venue: Citizens Bank Park

Los Angeles Record: 55-44

Philadelphia Record: 55-43

After taking two games from the Brewers, the Dodgers will play another playoff contender in the Phillies. Philadelphia came into the season projected to win just 78 game and to finish third in the NL East. They have overperformed in 2018 and Fangraphs has them on pace to win 85 games.

How are the Dodgers Doing?

The Dodgers are coming off an 11-run outpour against the Brewers, which featured two home runs by Matt Kemp. In their last series, they recorded at least 10 hits in each game.

Defense for Max Muncy remains an area of concern. He has made three errors over his last two games and ranks seventh in the National League with 10 errors.

Why is this Game Important?

Coming off the break, the Dodgers have one of the toughest schedules in all of baseball. Their schedule for the next month features only teams with records above .500, including a series against the Astros.

As they lead their division by 1.5 games, every game matters down the stretch.

Pitching Matchup

Ross Stripling (8-2, 2.08 ERA) vs Zach Eflin (7-2, 3.15 ERA)

Ross Stripling’s last outing came in the All-Star Game when he took home the loss after allowing three runs. He is hoping produce a better result in a game that actually matters. He threw six shutout innings in his last start before the break and he defeated the Phillies the last time he faced them

When Stripling faced the Phillies earlier this year, he matched up against Zach Eflin. Eflin struggled that game allowing five runs in four innings. Since that start on May 30, he is 6-0 with a 2.32 ERA.

Matchup of the Day

Matt Kemp vs Zach Eflin

Five separate players on the Los Angeles roster have homered against Eflin. Matt Kemp has the best track record against Eflin, batting .600 with two home runs in five at-bats. In the last matchup between the two, Kemp doubled and homered against Eflin.

Vegas Odds

Odds Sharks

Dodgers: -135

Phillies: +125

FiveThirtyEight

Dodgers: 56% chance of winning

Phillies: 44% chance of winning

Fun Fact

Zach Eflin belonged to the Dodgers organization for less than 24 hours. The Dodgers acquired him from the Padres on December 18, 2014, in the Kemp-Grandal trade and then shipped Eflin to Philadelphia to acquire Jimmy Rollins.