Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — With their season on the line, the Philadelphia Phillies turn to Aaron Nola to slow down the Los Angeles Dodgers as the National League Division Series shifts to the West Coast for Game 3 on Wednesday.
The Dodgers seized a 2-0 series lead with a pair of narrow victories in Philadelphia, including a 4-3 win on Monday. They now have a chance to clinch the best-of-five series at home in Dodger Stadium.
Nola (5-10, 4.62 ERA during the regular season) will face a formidable challenge in Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (13-8, 3.28 ERA). The pitching matchup heavily favors Los Angeles, reflecting their recent dominance in the head-to-head series. The Dodgers have won five of the last seven meetings between the clubs, including a 5-0 shutout of the Phillies in their last visit to Los Angeles on Sept. 17.
Philadelphia, which finished the regular season 96-68, one game behind the 97-69 Dodgers, must find a spark for its offense. The Phillies have scored just six runs in the series’ first two games.
According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Dodgers are projected to win 7-4. Los Angeles is a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under is set at 8 runs.
A loss would end Philadelphia’s season, while a win would force a Game 4 in Los Angeles on Thursday.