Sanchez, Phils Geared up for Game One of Red October

We are officially back in Red October.

The Phillies are hosting the 93-69 Los Angeles Dodgers for game one of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers are coming off a Wild Card series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, where the Los Angeles offense tallied 18 runs to compensate for their struggling bullpen.

For the Phillies, they are fresh off of a week of resting from a long, 162-game season and an intrasquad game between powder blues and pinstripes that featured 31,000 people from baseball’s most loyal fanbase packed into Citizens Bank Park.

In game one, the Phillies have an opportunity to get starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani out of the game early, as the Dodgers are very cautious with the recovering Tommy John patient’s pitch count. Ohtani, who threw 47 innings in 14 games while posting a 2.87 ERA during the regular season, threw 91 pitches in his most recent start on September 23 and 68 pitches in five scoreless innings against the Phillies on September 16.

Here’s how the Phils will line up to crack Ohtani and the Dodgers’ bullpen:

1. SS Trea Turner
2. DH Kyle Schwarber
3. 1B Bryce Harper
4. 3B Alec Bohm
5. LF Brandon Marsh
6. C J.T. Realmuto
7. RF Max Kepler
8. CF Harrison Bader
9. 2B Bryson Stott

The Dodgers have a task that is equally as challenging as that of the Phillies. Manager Rob Thomson is sending left Christopher Sanchez to the mound in game one, who has put up impressive numbers in his second full season in the Phillies’ rotation.

In 32 starts, Sanchez pitched to a 2.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, striking out 212 batters and notching 13 wins. Between 2023 and 2024, Sanchez has allowed 3 earned runs in 7.1 innings of work in the postseason. It is also worth noting that Christopher Sanchez has been historically more successful at home. This season, in particular, Sanchez has a 1.94 ERA in 17 starts at Citizens Bank Park.

Here’s who Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts penciled into the starting lineup for game one:

1. RHP Shohei Ohtani
2. SS Mookie Betts
3. RF Teoscar Hernandez
4. 1B Freddie Freeman
5. 2B Tommy Edman
6. 3B Enrique Hernandez
7. LF Alex Call
8. CF Andy Pages
9. C Ben Rortvedt

It was also announced pregame that Jesus Luzardo is going to get the nod to start game two, so Ranger Suarez will be available out of the bullpen. As we all remember, Suarez came in to close out the 2023 NLCS, so he will look to continue his postseason success.

Philly Sports Reports will be live at 5 pm ET on all social media platforms for the Phillies-Dodgers NLDS game one pregame show.

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