Phillies Stay Alive Against Dodgers in Game Three of NLDS

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

October 8, 2025

Phillies 8, Dodgers 2

The Philadelphia Phillies live to play another day in the NLDS, taking Game Three against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8–2. in a must-win scenario. The Phillies’ offense came out firing in an elimination game to extend their postseason. For the first time in this series, the Dodgers were unable to match their offensive output, and the Phillies now look to carry this momentum into Game Four.

Phillies-Dodgers Game Summary

Phillies Rattle Yamamoto

The Dodgers struck first with a solo shot by Tommy Edman in the third, but the tides changed from there, and the Phillies never looked back. In the top of the fourth, Kyle Schwarber made a long-overdue appearance in this series with a solo home run. He entered this game hitless in the postseason.

Bryce Harper, who had also been silent this series, followed up with a single. Alec Bohm then hit a single, and an errant throw by Andy Pages put Bohm on third and scored Harper. Brandon Marsh hit a sac-fly that plated Bohm, making the score 3–1. The Phillies were able to get to Yoshinobu Yamamoto early, and that made all the difference in this game.

Before this game, Yamamoto pitched eight straight starts with four or fewer hits allowed, with a scoreless streak of 24 consecutive innings. The Phillies got four hits in that inning.

Suarez Delivers Under Pressure

Ranger Suarez relieved Aaron Nola in the third and gave up a first-pitch bomb to Edman. From that point on, he was in complete control. He quickly settled in and silenced the Dodger lineup for the rest of his outing. Even when the Dodgers got runners in scoring position, he shut them down, giving the Phillies much-needed momentum. He withdrew from the game in the eighth with 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB.

Phillies Shell Kershaw

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Clayton Kershaw came in from the bullpen in the seventh, and in the eighth, the Phillies erupted for a five-run inning. J.T. Realmuto hit a solo homer off the lefty, and then Max Kepler reached on a walk. Nick Castellanos reached on an error, and then a sac-bunt from Bryson Stott moved both runners into scoring position.

Trea Turner came alive in this game as well and hit an RBI single that drove in both runners. Schwarber capped off the explosive inning with a two-run blast. After this long inning, the lead was too big for the Dodgers to overcome. They were able to bring home one more run in the ninth, but any hope of a comeback had quickly vanished.

What Went Wrong For the Dodgers

Yamamoto’s Rough Start

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Yamamoto had been a stellar postseason performer before this matchup, but the Phillies’ offense came out early, ready to make a statement. The early damage forced Yamamoto out of his comfort zone, and he was unable to recover. What had been an amazing stretch of games was ended by the Phillies’ relentless energy. By the time the Dodgers turned to the bullpen, the momentum fully shifted in favor of the Phillies.

Yamamoto reflected on his performance in a postgame conference: “Getting into the game, I think I was calm. But that fourth inning, I allowed a solo run to Schwarber, and then after that I gave up more runs. If I could have minimized the damage in that inning, I think maybe the result might have been a little bit different.”

Dodgers Unable to Answer

The Dodgers’ offense crumbled against Suarez and could not produce any runs to mount a comeback. As a team, they went 8-for-34 and left 12 runners on base. Shohei Ohtani, who has struggled offensively this series, went 0-for-5 at the plate.

Other key hitters also failed to make an impact. Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez, who have both had iconic postseason moments for the Dodgers, collectively went o-for-7 with three strikeouts. Their inability to string together hits and build any momentum allowed the Phillies to stay alive, and any hope was sucked out of Dodger Stadium after the Phillies’ explosive eighth inning.

What Went Right For the Phillies

Offensive Production

The Phillies’ offense was alive and well Wednesday, with even the top of the lineup coming through with their backs against the wall. The Phillies thrived in this series thanks to a combination of patience at the plate and aggressive base running. The team executed at the plate and broke it open in the eighth, dashing any hopes of a Dodgers comeback.

Dominant Relievers Help Phillies Stay Afloat

Suarez’s steady outing anchored the Phillies and eased the pressure on the offense. He kept the Dodgers’ explosive lineup in check and held them to only one run. Before this game, the Dodgers scored at least four runs in 13 consecutive postseason games (tying the 1970-71 Baltimore Orioles for the most in major league history).

Looking Ahead

The Phillies have new life, extending their postseason and bringing the series to 2–1. They look to carry this momentum into another must-win game at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. Their ace Cristopher Sanchez ( 13–5, 2.50 ERA) will be handed the keys against Tyler Glasnow (4–3, 3.19 ERA). First pitch will be at 3:08 pm Pacific.