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    Joe Rutland
    Joe Rutland
    Oct 2, 2025, 20:28
    Updated at: Oct 2, 2025, 20:28

    For Los Angeles Dodgers fans, Thursday was a day to get over that celebration hangover. The Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 on Wednesday night, clinching the National League Wild Card Series and setting off champagne bottles in the Dodgers clubhouse.

    Well, it's Thursday now and time to shift focus toward the Philadelphia Phillies. That's who coming up next in the National League Division Series, which kicks off on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. First pitch time has yet to be determined, and the game will be telecast on TBS.

    Here's how the schedule shakes down for the NLDS:

    • Game 1 (at PHI): Saturday on TBS
    • Game 2 (at PHI): Monday on TBS
    • Game 3 (at LAD): Oct. 8 on TBS
    • Game 4 (at LAD, if necessary): Oct. 9 on TBS
    • Game 5 (at PHI, if necessary): Oct. 11 on TBS  

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday night that Shohei Ohtani would get the ball for Game 1 in Philadelphia. The Dodgers start this series on the road, which means they'll need to have their best bats cooking.

    Yes, if you are wondering, this is the first MLB postseason start for Ohtani in his career. 

    The Dodgers were able to muster up 18 runs in the two games against the Reds. They will need to have that type of offensive output against a Phillies team with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and others ready to do battle.

    This is an old-fashioned NL playoff series between two teams with a rich postseason history.

    It's the sixth postseason matchup between the Phillies and Dodgers and the first in the Division Series, according to MLB.com. The Dodgers defeated the Phillies in the 1977 and ’78 NL Championship Series, but Philadelphia has gotten the better of Los Angeles in their past three playoff meetings -- the ’83 NLCS, the 2008 NLCS and the ’09 NLCS. 

    Now, LA wants to continue a run toward repeating as World Series champions. The Phillies want another chance to win one. They were in the 2022 World Series but lost to the Houston Astros.

    While Schwarber strikes out a lot, the patented "SchwarBombs" probably will make an appearance or two against the Dodgers.

    Time to get your Dodgers Blue ready to wear again on Saturday. Until then, the Dodgers will be making their way to the City of Brotherly Love. There is no love lost between these two teams, though.