Dodgers’ undefeated start comes to an end as Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto extinguishes late comeback attempt

The reigning-champion Los Angeles Dodgers suffered their first defeat of the 2025 season on Friday night, as they fell 3-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies, themselves enjoying a hot start, thanks to a dominant Jesús Luzardo and the throwing arm of J.T. Realmuto. The loss drops the Dodgers to 8-1 on the season. 

They had already set the all-time record for most consecutive wins to begin a season by a defending World Series champion, and within range was the franchise record for best start to a season, which belongs to the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers with a 10-0 early mark. The 1940 Dodgers team started 9-0. On the other side, the win improves the Phillies to 6-1, and they remain in first place in the National League East. 

Added to an already stacked rotation via offseason trade with the Miami Marlins, Luzardo had a night to remember with his parents in attendance at Citizens Bank Park: 

Of the left-hander’s 95 pitches, 59 went for strikes. He leaned heavily on his fastball that averaged 96.6 mph on the night, and he also frequently went to his sweeper and changeup. In all, Luzardo induced 31 swings on pitches outside the strike zone. After two starts, Luzardo’s ERA for his age-27 season stands at 1.50. 

Luzardo’s counterpart, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, also pitched well, as he permitted one run on three hits in six innings of work. 

The Phillies in the eighth entrusted a 3-0 lead to their bullpen. The Dodgers, though, managed runners on the corners with two outs against Matt Strahm, which brought Mookie Betts to the plate as the potential tying run. In a curious decision, Shohei Ohtani from first base tested the potent throwing arm of Realmuto: 

Threat over, as was Ohtani’s streak of 36 straight successful stolen-base attempts. 

Not done yet, the Dodgers in the ninth mounted a comeback at the expense of new Philly closer Jordan Romano. Tommy Edman‘s fifth home run of the season made it 3-2 and made it 66 straight games without being shut out for the Dodgers. Shortly thereafter, catcher Will Smith worked a one-out walk, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summoned Chris Taylor to pinch-run. Taylor did indeed run in an attempt to get into scoring position, but, once again, Realmuto was on the case: 

After a replay reversal of the original safe call, that was a strike-em-out-throw-em-out game-ender for the Phillies and streak-ender for the Dodgers. That was also Realmuto’s third extinguished runner of the game. 

The Dodgers’ magma-hot opening to the year began with a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series in mid-March. Then after a lengthy respite they swept the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. The streak was first imperiled by the Braves on Wednesday, but a late-inning comeback by the Dodgers culminated in an Ohtani walk-off home run to push their record to 8-0. 

The consolation for the Dodgers is that the division-rival San Diego Padres, who also entered Friday’s slate with a spotless record, suffered their first loss of the season thanks to the Chicago Cubs.