The Philadelphia Phillies extended their postseason run with an 8–2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, avoiding a sweep in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. Entering the matchup, the Dodgers were listed by most sportsbooks as moderate favorites, generally around –150, while the Phillies were posted near +130 as they attempted to stay alive. Philadelphia overcame those odds behind a powerful performance from Kyle Schwarber and steady pitching that halted Los Angeles’ momentum.
Schwarber, who led the National League in home runs during the regular season, delivered his first long balls of the postseason, including a towering 455-foot blast off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the fourth inning. That drive cleared the right-field pavilion, making Schwarber only the second player ever to homer over that structure. Willie Stargell accomplished the feat in both 1969 and 1973. Schwarber’s second homer, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, pushed his career postseason total to twenty-three, ranking third all-time and first among left-handed hitters.
The Phillies’ offense erupted for five runs in the eighth inning, a rally capped by Schwarber’s second homer and another solo shot from J.T. Realmuto. Those late runs came off veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who was making his first postseason relief outing since 2019. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struggled with command, allowing six hits and four earned runs in what may be one of his final postseason appearances as he approaches the end of his eighteenth and likely last season.
Before Philadelphia’s outburst, the game was tightly contested. Yamamoto opened strongly for Los Angeles, retiring nine of his first ten hitters. But in the fourth, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm singled, and Harper scored when center fielder Andy Pages overthrew third base on a throw that deflected into the Dodgers’ dugout. Bohm advanced to third and later scored on Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice fly, giving the Phillies their first lead of the night. Schwarber’s historic home run extended that lead to 3–1.
Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola worked the first two innings before Ranger Suárez took over in the third. Suárez allowed one run on five hits over five innings, striking out four and walking one. His only mistake came when Tommy Edman opened the third inning with a first-pitch home run, briefly giving Los Angeles a 1–0 advantage. Suárez settled in quickly and kept the Dodgers from capitalizing on their opportunities, including a sixth-inning situation in which Los Angeles put two runners on before Max Muncy grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Dodgers’ offense sputtered throughout the night, struggling against both Suárez and the Phillies’ bullpen. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman combined to go 0-for-8, while Mookie Betts accounted for two of the team’s six hits with a triple and a single. Los Angeles’ inability to sustain rallies proved costly, especially as Philadelphia continued expanding its lead late.
Anthony Banda briefly halted the Phillies’ surge in the fifth inning, relieving Yamamoto and escaping a bases-loaded threat by striking out Schwarber and retiring Harper and Bohm. The left-hander’s effort kept the game within reach temporarily, but the Dodgers’ bullpen faltered in the later innings.
Despite the loss, the Dodgers still lead the best-of-five series 2–1 and remain in position to close it out at home. Manager Dave Roberts expressed confidence afterward, saying the team had already moved past the defeat and remained focused on Game 4.
The Phillies, energized by Schwarber’s breakout performance, will send left-hander Cristopher Sánchez to the mound on Thursday. The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief during Game 1. With their season extended and momentum shifting, Philadelphia will attempt to force a decisive Game 5, while Los Angeles looks to secure its advance to the National League Championship Series.
