MLB Series of the Week: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the two teams with the best records in the National League will collide for the first time in 2024 from July 9 to 11.

All-Stars litter these two teams and plenty.

Los Angeles Dodgers (55-36, first in the NL West)

In the previous week, the Dodgers dropped two of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks and won two of three against the Milwaukee Brewers in a six-game homestand.

Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is the leading candidate to win the National League MVP, leading the league with a 1.036 OPS, 28 home runs and 5.0 WAR.

First baseman Freddie Freeman, who will play in his sixth straight All-Star Game and eighth overall on July 16, batted .381 with six RBIs and five walks to begin July.

All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández is fifth in the league with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.

On Friday, All-Star catcher Will Smith homered three times, becoming the fourth catcher in Dodgers history to do so, joining Yasmani Grandal and Hall of Famers Mike Piazza and Roy Campanella.

All-Star Mookie Betts, who has not played since fracturing his hand on June 16, will likely move to second base when he returns thanks to the play of shortstop Miguel Rojas, who has not committed an error at shortstop in 2024, per USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale.

With their battered pitching staff, the Dodgers’ starters when they face the Phillies will include right-hander Gavin Stone, who put up All-Star-worthy numbers but didn’t make it amid the league’s excellent starting pitching.

Stone got battered for four runs in three innings when he faced the Diamondbacks in his last start on Wednesday but pitched his first career complete game when he faced the Chicago White Sox the start before on June 26.

Philadelphia Phillies (58-32, first in the NL West)

The Phillies took two of three against the Cubs in Chicago and lost two of three against the Braves in Atlanta last week, but their biggest win came from within.

First baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber were reinstated off the 10-day injured list on Monday and Tuesday to become available for the series against the Dodgers.

Harper, the National League player of the month in May and June and the leading vote-getter in 2024 National League All-Star voting, hit .303 with 20 home runs before he suffered a hamstring injury.

Schwarber, another All-Star, hit 17 home runs and led the NL in walks before he suffered a left groin injury.

Both injuries occurred on June 27 against the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia went 5-4 without Harper and Schwarber.

However, the Phillies are without All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has not played since June 9 after getting knee surgery.

Elsewhere offensively, shortstop Trea Turner has hit .321 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 18 games since returning from the injured list on June 17, including 11 RBIs in his last seven games.

On the mound, the Phillies will throw their two main starting pitchers and an up-and-comer against the highest-scoring offense in the National League.

All-Star Zack Wheeler is a leading candidate for the league’s Cy Young Award, and he and Aaron Nola are the Phillies’ workhorses, the latter leading them in innings pitched.

After an up-and-down start to his career, Cristopher Sánchez has established himself as a key cog in the Phillies rotation, ranking sixth in the league with a 2.96 ERA.

Projected Starters (per ESPN)

Game 1 (July 9, 6:40 p.m. EST, TBS): RHP Bobby Miller (1-1, 6.12 ERA) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.74 ERA)

Game 2 (July 10, 7:00 p.m., ESPN): RHP Gavin Stone (9-2, 3.03) vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez (6-4, 2.96)

Game 3 (July 11, 6:05 p.m.): RHP Landon Knack (1-2, 2.86) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (10-4, 3.48)

All stats and records are as of before the games on July 9, 2024.

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu.