To many around the sport, the Dodgers have become villains for the way they’ve outspent the rest of the league, loaded their roster with international talent, and stockpiled depth at seemingly every position.
To the Phillies, however, it makes them the standard; one with which their own big-money, star-studded roster is trying to compete.
“I don’t know if people will like this,” said the Phillies' biggest star, two-time MVP Bryce Harper, when asked about the Dodgers on Friday afternoon, “but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing. I think they’re a great team, they’re a great organization. That’s why guys want to go there and play.”
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In other words, Harper added, “they’re doing what the Dodgers do.”
That’s why, on Friday night, there was a distinct buzz around Citizens Bank Park when the Dodgers came to town. Why, for the first week of April, this series had a litmus-test kind of feel.
"I think that both teams like to use each other as a barometer, or a benchmark,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
But right now, no team sets the bar higher than the Dodgers.
And for one night, at least, the first-place Phillies were able to measure up.
In a 3-2 defeat of the Dodgers, the Phillies handed the defending World Series champions their first loss of the season; dropping the Dodgers to 8-1 in a game that, yes, proved this year’s $400 million team is, in fact, beatable.
Knocking off the Dodgers was no easy feat.
Over six innings against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Phillies had only one unearned run, when Yamamoto misfired on a pick-off throw to third that allowed Trea Turner to score.
Philadelphia’s starter, burgeoning 27-year-old left-hander Jesús Luzardo, produced one of his best career starts, blanking the Dodgers over seven scoreless innings on two hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.
And the few times the Dodgers did have opportunities to erase the deficit, ...
