Phillies vs Dodgers Free Pick, MLB Free Picks, MLB Predictions 9/16/25

PHILADELPHIA @ LA DODGERS (LAD -120, 7.5)

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Phillies vs Dodgers Free Pick, MLB Free Picks, MLB Predictions 9/16/25

PHILLIES @ DODGERS 9/16/25

The Philadelphia Phillies won Game 1 of this series last night in extra innings.  A JT Realmuto sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning proved to be the winning run as the Phillies clinched the NL East title with their third victory over the Dodgers this season. When the two teams faced each other in April, Philadelphia defeated the defending World Series champions two games to one.

Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 10-3 to the Kansas City Royals, snapping their six-game winning streak. The Phillies were one victory away from winning the NL East, but the win guaranteed them a postseason spot. Philadelphia is now just 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in baseball at 91-59.

In their last 11 games, the Phillies are 9-2. While their bullpen has a 4.35 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a .254 batting average against, the Phillies have scored 65 runs on a strong .305/.372/.537 slash line during that span.

Tonight, Cristopher Sanchez is anticipated to make his first-ever start at Dodger Stadium. This season, the 28-year-old left-hander has made 29 starts (182.1 innings pitched) and is 13-5 with a solid 2.57 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. In each of his last three appearances, he has given up just one earned run.

This season, Sanchez will face the Dodgers for the second time. In a no-decision game against the Blue Crew back in April, he pitched 5.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on six hits and a walk. The Dodgers are 19-for-74 with four doubles and three home runs against Sanchez, who is 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles.

At Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 10-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game series. The Dodgers have scored 28 runs in their last three games. The Dodgers enter play tonight with a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

The Dodgers had a five-game losing streak at the beginning of September. The Dodgers have since scored 53 runs on a potent .302/.374/.488 slash line and have gone 6-1. The Dodgers' bullpen has a 3.43 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a .182 batting average against during that seven-game run.

Shohei Ohtani, a 31-year-old right-hander with a 1-1 record, 3.75 ERA, and 1.19 WHIP in 12 starts (36 innings pitched) in 2025, is expected to start on Tuesday. Ohtani has only given up one earned run on five hits and three walks in two starts and 8.2 innings of work since a meltdown at Coors Field on August 20. This will be his first appearance as a pitcher against the Phillies.

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FREE PICK: UNDER 7.5

Cristopher Sanchez might be the most consistent pitcher in MLB this season. He pitches 6-plus innings more than any other starting pitcher in baseball. He is 13-5 with a 2.57 ERA and he has solid career numbers against the Dodgers. Only Teoscar Hernandez (5-for-9, 2 HR) has hit Sanchez. On the other end, Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch long, but over his last two starts he’s allowed just one earned run and struck out 14 in 8⅔  innings. These two teams put up 11 runs last night and both have been pounding the ball - Phillies 51 runs in last 6 games, Dodgers 45 runs in last 6 games. The Under has cashed 5 of the last 7 times Philadelphia has been the underdog, which they are tonight.