The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) on Wednesday night. The game is scheduled to begin at 9:08 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max. In the United States, all series games are also available through MLB.TV with authentication from a participating pay TV provider. Canadian viewers can watch every postseason game in English on Sportsnet, while TVA Sports and RDS provide French-language coverage.
The Dodgers currently hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after winning both games in Philadelphia. The Phillies return to Los Angeles hoping to avoid elimination and a second consecutive NLDS exit, despite having had home-field advantage.
For the Dodgers, right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) is set to start. Yamamoto impressed during last year’s postseason and continued his strong performance with nine strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings against the Reds in the Wild Card Series last week, allowing only two unearned runs. He is noted as “the first Dodgers starter to allow one earned run or fewer in back-to-back playoff starts since Walker Buehler in 2020.” Yamamoto last faced the Phillies in April at Citizens Bank Park.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced that right-hander Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01 ERA) will start Game 3, which was unexpected as left-hander Ranger Suárez was previously expected to pitch. Thomson stated: “Nola has never pitched out of the ‘pen,” adding “How long he goes, I don’t know. But — and I trust him.” Nola has struggled this season but may be followed by Suárez if necessary.
Lineup changes are expected for both teams due to pitching matchups and injuries. The Dodgers’ top four hitters—Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández—are likely to remain at the top of the order, though Freeman and Hernández may switch places. Max Muncy is expected to return after sitting out against left-handed starters, and Will Smith could make his first postseason start after recovering from a hand injury.
For Philadelphia, outfielder Harrison Bader remains questionable due to a groin injury sustained earlier in the series; if he cannot start, Nick Castellanos may play right field against Yamamoto or Otto Kemp could start in left field with Max Kepler moving to right field.
Both bullpens are expected to be fully available following rest days after Games 1 and 2. Dodgers reliever Emmet Sheehan may be an exception after pitching two innings in Game 2. Rookie Roki Sasaki has recorded saves in both division series games so far but has not officially been named closer by manager Dave Roberts.
For Philadelphia, Thomson said it will be an “all-hands-on-deck situation” with their season at stake; Suárez is likely to follow Nola on the mound if needed. Closer Jhoan Duran could be called upon for extended relief work if Philadelphia leads late in the game.
Injuries continue to affect both rosters. For Los Angeles, Will Smith is managing a hairline fracture in his right hand but is expected to play; Tommy Edman continues dealing with an ankle issue; Miguel Rojas has hamstring tightness but should be available for Game 3 according to Roberts. For Philadelphia, Bader’s groin injury limits him mostly to pinch-hitting duties while Zack Wheeler remains out for the postseason following surgery performed September 23rd.
Among hot performers for Los Angeles, Teoscar Hernández leads with seven hits including three home runs and nine RBIs so far this postseason: “October Kiké” Hernandez has contributed five hits and six RBIs as well. However, Andy Pages has struggled at just one hit across seventeen at-bats (.059), while Edman is two-for-eleven (.182).
On Philadelphia’s side, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper have combined for only two hits across twenty-one at-bats during this series—a factor cited as crucial if they hope for a comeback: “There is no question that if the Phillies are going to pull off a miracle comeback, they need their three most talented hitters in the lineup to lead the way.”
Game 3 marks a pivotal moment as Los Angeles seeks its second straight World Series title while Philadelphia aims simply to extend its postseason hopes.
