Phillies Need to Capitalize on Major Dodgers' Weakness to Win Highly Anticipated NLDS Matchup

Despite the Dodgers' appearance as a juggernaut, they have one crippling flaw that the Phillies need to exploit

Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) pulls relief pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies opponent in the upcoming NLDS has been finalized, and it's none other than the 2024 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

After an absolute slaughter of the Cincinnatti Reds in the National League Wild Card series, the reigning champs will head to Citizens Bank Park for a massive series that begins Saturday night. The Dodgers handily took down their scrappy NL Central opponent, bludgeoning their way to an 18-9 run differential across their two-game sweep.

Examining Los Angeles' roster, it's quite difficult to pick out any glaring weaknesses. The starting rotation shone in the Wild Card, and has a plethora of fresh arms, including two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the listed Game 1 starter. Their lineup is filled with perennial All-Stars, headlined by the likes of Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and annual postseason stars Teoscar and Kike Hernandez.

One crucial flaw did reveal itself in the Wild Card series, however. Of the nine runs they allowed, five of which were given up by the bullpen, despite pitching just 4.1 innings combined in the two contests. Rookie Japanese star Roki Sasaki flashed his elite arsenal in his one inning of work to close out the series, but the rest of the 'pen offers little in the way of comfortability.

The Dodgers are the only team to sweep, scoring 18 runs in two games. Snell and Yosh combined for 13.2 innings and 2 earned runs.

But their 10.38 ERA boasting bullpen leaves a very questionable taste in our mouths heading to Philadelphia, where the Phillies know very well about…

— Dodgers Tailgate (@DodgersTailgate) October 2, 2025

Posting the 10th-worst regular season bullpen Earned Run Average at 4.27, the Dodgers have a serious problem in finishing off games. That issue likely wasn't helped against the Reds, as they used six total pitchers across the two games, including Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen working both days. Their bullpen as a whole isn't a downright liability moving forward, but vulnerability has ravaged the staff ahead of facing an offensive powerhouse in the Phillies.

What do Phillies Need To Do?

Simply put, the Phillies need to mash. The club has seen offensive nightmares end each of their last three postseason runs, and opposing bullpens have taken advantage of them numerous times.

Philadelphia's offensive ceiling is as high as any team in the league, and it's time to flex their muscles. Getting to the Dodgers' elite pitching staff early will be a tall task, but as long as they can force manager Dave Roberts to go to his bullpen before it's too late, the matchup sways in their favor, an occurence that happened in their previous September 17th matchup.

No champagne hangover today! 🔔

The Phillies scored nine runs against the Dodgers bullpen to take the series in Los Angeles! pic.twitter.com/PDVtHPrd05

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 17, 2025

The Phillies posted the highest OPS, Slugging %, and home runs in the 7th inning and later in all of MLB, and late-game heroics were a staple of their impressive 96-win season. Consistently hitting opposing relievers hard was one of the team's biggest strengths in their NL East-winning campaign. Continuing that trend will be essential for their potential advance to the NLCS, and despite the Dodgers seemingly scary roster, their bullpen issues could play right into the Phillies hands.