The Philadelphia Phillies exorcized some demons on Saturday and will try for a series victory when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road on Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies’ 2025 season ended in brutal fashion with reliever Orion Kerkering’s error in the 11th inning of Game 4 in the National League Division Series. So they used the late innings Saturday to take a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers when Kerkering earned the win and the offense rallied with three runs in the eighth.
Edmundo Sosa delivered a go-ahead, two-run home run off left-hander Tanner Scott, while Bryce Harper contributed an RBI single in the eighth as Philadelphia ended Los Angeles’ season-high six-game winning streak.
Philadelphia is 4-1 on a six-game road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, improving to 21-9 under manager Don Mattingly after Rob Thomson was fired following a 9-19 start.
Kerkering gave up a run in his lone inning of work Saturday and yet improved to 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA.
“Super cool,” Kerkering said about the comeback victory. “I think it’s always how we are. It’s a Philly way of we’re not done until the last pitch is over with. I think just to be able to keep that momentum going the rest of the year would be cool.”
The Phillies will turn to rookie right-hander Andrew Painter (1-5, 5.40 ERA) as their starter on Sunday. After earning a win in his major league debut March 31, he is 0-5 since.
Painter, who has never faced the Dodgers, has a 2.60 ERA over his last three outings, including two runs over 6 1/3 innings in a 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians last Sunday.
Back on track after a stumble earlier this month, Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will face the one team that befuddled him in last season’s playoff run to a championship.
In Game 3 of the NLDS last season against Philadelphia, Yamamoto was far from his best when he gave up three runs on six hits over four innings, his most runs allowed and least innings in a playoff start last year.
In his most recent start, Yamamoto held the Milwaukee Brewers to one run over seven innings on the road last Sunday in a 5-1 victory.
It was Yamamoto’s second consecutive start of seven innings and one run allowed since he gave up a season-high five runs over 6 1/3 innings in a loss May 12 against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers will try to get their offense back on track after they were held to two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly for a run Saturday. Los Angeles entered with 12 home runs over its previous three games.
After facing left-hander Jesus Luzardo on Saturday, the Dodgers will return to a right-hander on Sunday. In Friday’s series opener, they hit four home runs off Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler.
“I think guys are getting back into their swings; they seem more synced up, more confident,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Certainly pitch selection is another part of it. I think getting into some good counts is another part. So there’s a lot of components, but I think guys are just starting to feel a little bit more confident at the plate.”
Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 on Saturday and is batting .392 with four home runs and 15 RBIs over the past 16 games.
–Field Level Media
