'It's going to be a fun series': Dodgers' Dave Roberts reveals thoughts on Phillies matchup in NLDS

Douglas Santo

'It's going to be a fun series': Dodgers' Dave Roberts reveals thoughts on Phillies matchup in NLDS image

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies will matchup in the NLDS, and it should be a thrilling series.

The Dodgers were the World Series favorites coming into the season and are in the playoffs for the 13th straight year. However, the Phillies are now the World Series favorites and are in the playoffs for their fourth straight year, hoping to finish the job in 2025.

The two National League teams have played over 2,000 times in their history, including five playoff series. However, The Dodgers and Phillies haven't met in the postseason since 2009.

Dave Roberts Reveals Thoughts on Phillies

As the Dodgers get ready to the NLDS against the Phillies, which begins on Saturday, Oct. 4, manager Dave Roberts revealed his thoughts on Philadelphia.

"Very talented ball club," Roberts said (h/t SI.com). "It's going to be a fun environment. I think we match up really well with those guys. They're going to run a bunch of left-handers at us. Talented, all throughout the lineup. They got Trea [Turner] back. It's going to be a fun series."

The Dodgers will send two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to the mound in Game 1 and the Phillies will have Christopher Sanchez pitching, who broke out with a phenomenal 2025 campaign.

Though the Dodgers played in the wild card round, they were the only team to get the job done in two games. So, Los Angeles had an extra day of rest ahead of the NLDS, something Dave Roberts thinks turned into an advantage for his club.

"If you can bank getting through the Wild Card series, I think so," Roberts said (h/t SI.com). "It just kind of takes on some downside, obviously, playing in the series. But getting through it the way we have kind of seamlessly getting to the next series, I think we're in a good spot."

Unlike the Phillies, the Dodgers cruised through the wild card round and are in rhythm heading into NLDS, and are rested with the extra off-day.

In attempt to stay ready, the Phillies played an intra-squad game this week during the wild card series to keep from being rusty as the NLDS gets underway.

This will be the first postseason series between the Phillies in Dodgers since 2008 and 2009, when Philadelphia won the series both years and won the World Series in 2008.

The Phillies lead the all-time postseason series 3-2, and have won each of the last three matchups.

Now, the challenge is to do so once again. It all gets started on Saturday at 6:38 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.

Douglas Santo

Douglas Santo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. As a senior at Arizona State University, he will complete his B.A. in sports journalism with a minor in business in December 2025. Before his time with Sporting News, Douglas covered the NFL and MLB for Athlon Sports and contributed as a digital reporter for Arizona PBS/Cronkite News. He is also the head of Sun Devil Daily, managing all content produced about Arizona State Sports.