This Friday night, the Philadelphia Phillies are set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in a rematch of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers previously defeated the Phillies in that matchup, winning the series 3–1. During that postseason clash, Kyle Schwarber recorded three hits in 16 at-bats, including two homers and three RBIs, while also leading the team with eight strikeouts.
Phillies Make Decision on Kyle Schwarber
Philadelphia has revealed its starting lineup for Friday’s series opener. According to Underdog MLB, the order is: Schwarber (DH), Turner (SS), Harper (1B), Bohm (3B), Stott (2B), Realmuto (C), Marsh (LF), García (RF), Berroa (CF), with Zack Wheeler on the mound.
After being moved to the leadoff spot during the Phillies’ sweep of the Padres, Schwarber appears to be staying there for now. Manager Don Mattingly commented on the change: “Schwarber’s hit first a lot. Trea’s hit third before. He’s hit second and first. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a big deal which is which. I want to get Trea going and just give him a slightly different feel.”
The shift seems aimed more at helping Trea Turner, who has struggled offensively this season, though he did homer in Wednesday’s win over the Padres. Not everyone supports the move, however. Pat Egan wrote on X: “I’ll die on this hill batting a 50+ home run guy leadoff will forever be one of the dumbest lineup decisions you could make.”
Starting for the Phillies is three-time All-Star Zack Wheeler, making his seventh start of the season. He enters Friday with a 4–0 record and a 1.67 ERA over 37.2 innings. Since firing manager Rob Thomson earlier in the year, Philadelphia has gone 20–8 under Don Mattingly, who previously managed the Dodgers for five seasons.
Dodgers’ Current Situation
Like the Phillies, the Dodgers are on a hot streak, having won five straight games. They now lead the NL West by 4.5 games over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. Los Angeles has also announced its lineup for Friday’s opener.
One Dodgers pitcher faced the Phillies once last season as a reliever Justin Wrobleski struggled in that outing, allowing five earned runs while recording just one out before being pulled.
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