The Phillies made a bold statement this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, taking two out of three from the red-hot Dodgers and handing L.A. their first two losses of the season — and their first series defeat. What stood out most, though, was the nearly perfect pitching. From Jesús Luzardo’s dominant start in Game 1 to a bullpen that stepped up in key moments, the Phillies’ arms were nothing short of impressive. Coupled with timely hitting and gritty play, this series had it all. The Phillies battled, stayed resilient, and showed they could hang with one of the league’s best. It was intense, dramatic, and made one thing clear: Philly is here to compete.
Game 1: Phillies 3, Dodgers 2
Jesús Luzardo was absolutely lights out in the opener Friday night. In his first home start as a Phillie, he blanked the Dodgers over seven innings, giving up just two hits and striking out eight. Philly took advantage of a first-inning error, then added insurance late on RBI hits from Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. Tommy Edman’s two-run homer in the ninth made it close, but J.T. Realmuto erased the tying run with a perfect throw on a steal attempt to seal the win and snap L.A.’s eight-game win streak.
Game 2: Dodgers 3, Phillies 1
Saturday tilted in the Dodgers’ favor. The Phils scratched across a run in the first, but Kiké Hernández flipped it fast with a two-run shot off Aaron Nola. Michael Conforto added a solo homer in the top of the sixth, and L.A.’s bullpen locked it down the rest of the way to even the series.
Game 3: Phillies 8, Dodgers 7
Sunday’s rubber match was pure chaos from the jump. The Dodgers struck first, with Teoscar Hernández launching a two-run homer — his fourth of the season — to open the scoring. The Phillies answered in the second with an RBI single from Bryce Harper to make it 2-1. Then came the momentum shift: Nick Castellanos crushed a grand slam as part of a five-run third inning, capitalizing on Tyler Glasnow’s loss of command to give the Phillies a 6-2 lead.
Rain never bothered Nick anyway#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0qkOGUNRrl
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 6, 2025
Hernández wasn’t done — he went deep again in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-3. In the seventh, Mookie Betts doubled to center to bring the Dodgers within one, and Will Smith followed with a go-ahead two-run double, flipping the game 7-6 in L.A.’s favor.
But the Phillies weren’t going quietly. In the bottom of the seventh, Bryson Stott tied it up with an RBI single to right, and Edmundo Sosa legged out an infield hit that brought home the go-ahead run. José Alvarado handled the ninth to lock it down and clinch the series.
This wasn’t just an early-season W. It was the kind of gritty, statement win that proves the Phillies are ready to scrap with the best — and win.
Looking Ahead
The Phils now head to Atlanta to face their division rival Braves. After starting the season 0-7, the Braves showed some signs of life by splitting their recent series with the Marlins — including a dominant 10-0 win. Following Atlanta, they team will make a pit-stop in St. Louis before returning to Citizens Bank Park for their next home stand.
