It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Edgar Allan Pоe National Historic Site gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Philadelphia, PA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Just Started Working For Always Best Care In Philadelphia Last Week And I Love My Job So Far & My Clients. I Love How Flexible My Schedule Is Too. I'd Highly Recommend Getting A Job Here”
“I couldn’t thank this Company enough for the services my Father had, it’s difficult to trust others yet Always Best Care of Philadelphia did it with ease. We happily recommend them to our family and friends. Bryant and Co. truly care as if it was their own family. God Bless and May all your Staff be safe, they are in my prayers.”
“The highlights for me is The boss man Bryant Greene, and most of his awesome staff. Mr. Greene, his brother Al Billz and staff always looked out for me even when I was ill. I love them and Always Best Care to the moon and back!”
“first of all the owner Brian Greene is an amazing person to work for/with. Hes very compassionate to his workers and staff. If we need help and there's no caregiver available. Brian will step in. We also give our clients the best care possible. So proud to say Brian just opened up another office in Delaware. Doing an amazing job. I started work with this agency in 2012 when my mom became I'll. A good environment. I definitely would recommend this place of employment.”
“first of all the owner Brian Greene is an amazing person to work for/with. Hes very compassionate to his workers and staff. If we need help and there's no caregiver available. Brian will step in. We also give our clients the best care possible. So proud to say Brian just opened up another office in Delaware. Doing an amazing job. I started work with this agency in 2012 when my mom became I'll. A good environment. I definitely would recommend this place of employment.”
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“Always Best is truly a company that distinguishes itself from the other companies in its personal attention to make the client totally satisfied. Excellent communication is another reason you feel so secure. I never had a moment of frustration or worry. I can't recommend David and his staff enough!!! Karen in Plymouth Meeting”
“Love what I heard about the company. Champion Care is important for seniors.”
“Always Best Care Senior Services are a group of compassionate care givers and professionals. Use them for all your personal needs Senior or younger. They get the job done!!!”
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Fairmount Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Volvér or visit Powel House, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Philadelphia, PA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Philadelphia, PA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Philadelphia, PA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTA is warning riders around the region that all regional rail lines are facing significant delays and cancellations in the wake of safety measures implemented following the recent report from the National Transportation Safety Board.The NTSB sounded the alarm late last week on SEPTA's Silverliner IV railcars, some of the oldest railcars in the nation, as posing a special electrical fire risk."Due to mechanical issues and federally-mandated enhanced safety measures, all trains are currently opera...
PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTA is warning riders around the region that all regional rail lines are facing significant delays and cancellations in the wake of safety measures implemented following the recent report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB sounded the alarm late last week on SEPTA's Silverliner IV railcars, some of the oldest railcars in the nation, as posing a special electrical fire risk.
"Due to mechanical issues and federally-mandated enhanced safety measures, all trains are currently operating with at least two or fewer cars," SEPTA said in a statement Tuesday that was shared on their social media channels and website. "Delays, overcrowding and cancellations are expected."
A total of 225 of SEPTA's 390 railcar fleet are Silverliner IVs.
All morning long Tuesday, regional rail lines were operating with regular delays of anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, in the best case. Several trains were canceled due to mechanical issues or unspecified operator issues.
SEPTA says that due to their budget crunch, many of the aging railcars have been in service for far longer than they should have been.
"Operations staff will continue to remove from service railcars displaying any indicators that have been identified as possible root causes of previous fire incidents," SEPTA said in a statement this week. "Over the next month, as SEPTA complies with the FRA Emergency Order, Silverliner IV railcars will be removed from service for inspections and to implement mitigation practices developed together with NTSB and FRA."
Riders took to social media to express their frustration.
"SEPTA needs to start giving out refunds or partial refunds any time trains are cancelled, significantly delayed, or skip your stop at full capacity after we already tapped in," one rider wrote."Raising the fare prices and providing LESS reliable service is an absolute disgrace."
"So SEPTA let me get this straight, I pay the huge increase on my weekly anywhere pass now and all I get for it are cancellations or trains that are consistently 2 cars short of what they were before???" another wrote. "The incompetence of your upper management has become staggering."
The NTSB report came after a series of fires wracked the rail system this year, including two fires in late September in Philadelphia and Fort Washington. A massive blaze in Paoli in July also drew wider attention.
In searching for a cause for the fires, the NTSB pointed both to the "outdated design" of the Silverliner IVs as well as SEPTA's maintenance and operating practices.
You can see the NTSB's entire report online here.
Lawyers suing over a fatal traffic accident won’t get to do so in a preferred venue known nationally for jurors who punish companies.The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Sept. 25 refused to allow plaintiff lawyers to pursue their case all the way across the state from where the wreck occurred. They’d wanted the case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, known for massive verdicts handed out by jurors.But the wreck happened in Western Pennsylvania – Westmoreland County. Though the Superior Court gave attorney...
Lawyers suing over a fatal traffic accident won’t get to do so in a preferred venue known nationally for jurors who punish companies.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Sept. 25 refused to allow plaintiff lawyers to pursue their case all the way across the state from where the wreck occurred. They’d wanted the case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, known for massive verdicts handed out by jurors.
But the wreck happened in Western Pennsylvania – Westmoreland County. Though the Superior Court gave attorneys the go-ahead in a previous ruling, Justice David Wecht and colleagues on the Supreme Court disagreed.
It struck them as odd the Superior Court had earlier refused to let a Dauphin County case, known as Bratic, be transferred to Philadelphia because of the travel burdens on witnesses but then let the car-wreck case move even farther.
“Where Bratic deemed Philadelphia to be a patently oppressive venue on the basis of seven affidavits from witnesses who would be required to travel 100 miles, here the petitioning defendants produced affidavits from 11 witnesses (and identified dozens more) who would be forced to travel well over 200 miles,” Wecht wrote.
“Tellingly, the Superior Court here cited Bratic only for general statements of legal standards applicable to forum non conveniens petitions, and it did not discuss the substance of Bratic’s rationale at all.”
Defendants include Federal Express, Sioux Trucking, UPS, Penske Truck Leasing and Z&D Tour. They face several lawsuits over a Jan. 5, 2020, collision that started when a bus owned by Z&D Tour found to be speeding rolled over onto its side on I-70/76 and blocked westbound lanes of travel.
Fifty-nine passengers were on the bus, which was struck by UPS and FedEx tractor-trailers. Another UPS truck hit a car swerving off the highway.
Five fatalities were the bus driver, two bus passengers and two UPS drivers. Lawyers like Edward Ciarimboli of Fellerman Ciarimboli, Michael O’Neill and David Senoff picked Philadelphia for their cases.
In 2024, a Philadelphia jury gave out $2.2 billion to a plaintiff claiming Roundup weedkiller caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, helping land the city as the American Tort Reform Association’s No. 1 Judicial Hellhole.
Jurors also awarded $725 million in a case alleging benzene from petroleum at an Exxon station caused a mechanic’s cancer. Philadelphia tied with Dallas County with 10 verdicts of more than $10 million in 2024.
Defendants in the car-wreck case identified state troopers, medical and emergency responders and eyewitnesses among those who would be asked to testify. Their affidavits said the travel to Philadelphia “would represent a significant financial burden” and “present significant disruptions to their personal and professional lives.”
Plaintiff lawyers countered that those witnesses could testify remotely.
“To be sure, virtual court appearance is a valuable tool when live, in-person proceedings cannot occur,” Wecht wrote. “Such technology allowed us to keep our courts open during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But it is not an adequate substitute in the ordinary course. Importantly, absent emergency circumstances such as those brought about by the pandemic, our Rules of Civil Procedure do not provide for the virtual appearance of witnesses at trial as a matter of course.”
From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!Philadelphia residents will get hit with higher water bills starting this week.The Philadelphia Water Department has raised water rates by 9.4%, meaning the average household can expect to pay around $89.42 per bill — about an $8 increase.The water department said the rate increase, approved by the Philadelphia Water, Sewer and Storm Water Rate Board, is driven by rising labor and equipment cos...
From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Philadelphia residents will get hit with higher water bills starting this week.
The Philadelphia Water Department has raised water rates by 9.4%, meaning the average household can expect to pay around $89.42 per bill — about an $8 increase.
The water department said the rate increase, approved by the Philadelphia Water, Sewer and Storm Water Rate Board, is driven by rising labor and equipment costs, as well as new federal regulations requiring water providers to take steps to improve surface and drinking water quality.
The proposed rate increase would also help fund the city’s 25-year, multibillion-dollar Water Revitalization Plan, which aims to prevent system failures.
Without a rate increase, the water department said it would be forced to cut back on essential services, including for its wastewater and stormwater collection systems.
“Investments in our … water mains in the roadways help to reduce the number of water main breaks on a citywide level, improve our level of service and ensure we’re able to provide drinking water and wastewater service to customers,” said Ben Jewell, acting commissioner for the Philadelphia Water Department.
Next year, water bills in Philadelphia will increase another 5.5%.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring water providers to invest in technology to remove what’s known as “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, from drinking water in the next few years, and to remove lead pipes over the next decade. Water providers have also been tasked with upgrading their wastewater infrastructure to reduce stormwater and sewage overflow, and to eliminate discharges of ammonia into waterways.
“Unfortunately, in this day and age, the cost to operate that utility is getting higher and higher,” said Rob Ballenger, an attorney at Philadelphia Community Legal Services, which advocates for affordable utility rates. “At the same time, there aren’t federal and state resources being made available to help offset the need for the utilities to raise rates, to reinvest in [the infrastructure] that allow us to have safe and efficient water service in our homes … and, for the most part, that cost is being borne by the customers.”
Though the federal government under the Biden administration set aside billions of dollars to upgrade water and sewer infrastructure, and many water departments have access to low interest state loans, providers say more funding is needed.
Jewell said a significant amount of investment is needed to improve infrastructure in Philadelphia.
“The infrastructure, which was developed with huge infusions of federal money, is aging and it requires investment to renew, rehabilitate and ensure the long term function of it,” he said. “A financial commitment from the federal government would go a long way to helping all utilities control the costs associated with those improvements and continue to deliver services to our customers.”
The increased water rates will also help the department invest in a fund that is intended to provide relief during hard financial times, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic, that fund has whittled down.
The new rates are a significant reduction from the water department’s original request for an increase of more than 16% over the next two years.
The water department offers a number of programs to help residents who are struggling to pay their bills, including the Tiered Assistance Program, which allows people to pay their water bills based on their incomes.
The water department now automatically enrolls residents in assistance programs when they qualify, which has increased participation from fewer than 20,000 ratepayers in the tiered assistant program in 2022 to more than 60,000 ratepayers today.
Residents struggling to pay their water bill should call 215-685-6300 to request a customer assistance application, or apply online.
“If you’re behind on your bill or you can’t afford your bill and you apply, the city has the obligation to figure out what the best and most affordable bill is,” Ballenger said.
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Red October is back, and the Phillies draw the defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers in their opening matchup.PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies have filled out their dance card for the dawn of Red October.The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers dispatched the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round, finishing a sweep of the best of three series 2-0 on Wednesday night. LA will come to Philly this weekend in a monumental early round clash of two of baseball's true juggernauts.Quick react...
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies have filled out their dance card for the dawn of Red October.
The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers dispatched the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round, finishing a sweep of the best of three series 2-0 on Wednesday night. LA will come to Philly this weekend in a monumental early round clash of two of baseball's true juggernauts.
Quick reactions
This is the matchup everyone expected, as Cincinnati, who snuck in the postseason on the final day of the regular season and finished the year 83-79,was considered an enormous underdog against LA.
While the Milwaukee Brewers finished the season with MLB's best record and took home the top seed in the National League, it's the Phillies and the Dodgers, due to their pedigree, their history of recent success, and the stature of their superstars, who are the top two betting favorites in all of baseball to win the World Series, and by a significant margin.
Philly and LA are also the owners of the top two records in baseball over the past several years combined. In fact, they've been enshrined as 1-2 in the 3.5 seasons since Rob Thomson became the Phillies manager, on June 3, 2022. But they're not meeting in the World Series, rather in the NLDS, MLB's quarterfinal round, and only one of them can advance on to the National League Championship Series.
Schedule
Games 1 and 2 will be in Philadelphia on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 6:08 p.m. or 6:38 p.m., and Monday, Oct. 6.
Games 3 and 4 will be in Los Angeles on Oct. 8 and, if necessary, Oct. 9.
If the series goes to five games, it will return to Philadelphia on Oct. 11.
Game times for Games 2-5 are yet to be announced.
Pitching matchups
In Game 1, the Phillies will trot out ace lefty Cristopher Sanchez, likely the runner-up in the 2025 NL Cy Young voting and one of the most dominant pitchers on the planet right now.
He'll likely be opposed by Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers have not yet announced their rotation for the remainder of the series, though the starters of Games 2 and 3 will almost certainly be Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Phillies will roll with all lefties: Ranger Suarez will start Game 2, and then Jesus Luzardo in Game 3. Sanchez would likely get the ball again if the series went to a do-or-die Game 5.
How they match up
The Phillies went 4-2 against the Dodgers this year, winning a 2-1 series in early April in Philly and then going 2-1 again in September in LA, which effectively clinched the second seed in the National League.
That success has extended for several years: the Phillies are 15-10 against the Dodgers overall since 2022, and they're 7-2 at home since the start of 2023.
Keys to the series
The Dodgers have some of the best starting pitchers in baseball, along with an array of MVP-caliber sluggers that are very difficult to pitch to when they are hot. Their greatest and most glaringly obvious weakness is their bullpen. When the Phillies and Dodgers met in LA in September, Dodgers starting pitching shut the Phillies down, but they feasted on their relievers.
In a short series, the biggest question will be to what degree Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will even need to turn to his pen. Beyond the starting trio of Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Snell, the Dodgers also have traditional starters Tyler Glasnow, Emmett Sheehan, and Clayton Kershaw all healthy and available to pitch in relief.
So the Phillies probably won't be able to rely on getting to the Dodgers bullpen the way they did last month. They'll need to work big pitch counts early on, and ideally force early exits from their staters, putting pressure on that second trio of Glasnow, Sheehan, and Kershaw to pitch from an unfamiliar relief role, all under the lights of an incredibly hostile Citizens Bank Park in Games 1 and 2.
Even without ace Zack Wheeler, the Phillies rotation is still among the best in baseball. The difference maker could indeed be a lineup that has defined itself by its hot and cold streaks. But when the Phillies hitters are hot, they all seem to get hot, and when that happens they are all but unbeatable.
Odds and predictions
While the Phillies took over the mantle of World Series favorites from the Dodgers at the end of the regular season, the Dodgers dominating sweep of Cincinnati has tipped the scales ever so slightly back in their favor.
LA are very narrow favorites to win the NLDS on both FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings, though the Phillies remain the favorite to win Game 1. ESPN's MLB Futures has the Dodgers as plus 425 favorites to win the World Series, with the Phillies a close second a plus 450.
The Dodgers are hot right now, and there is a powerful inertia associated with a defending champion team, with the highest payroll in the league, that has three recent MVPs in Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.
But the Phillies are no stranger to playing as underdogs. In fact, over the past three postseasons, the Phillies are 4-1 in series where they are not the favorites. And Red October itself has become synonymous with the Phillies toppling superteams: the Phillies took down 100-win Atlanta juggernauts in this round of the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023.
Prediction: home field advantage will be the difference maker. The Phillies get three games at Citizens Bank Park, and they'll split the two games at home and the two games away before winning the decisive Game 5 on the back of a complete game shutout from Cristopher Sanchez.
Of historical note
The Phillies also have a definitive historical advantage against Los Angeles. The teams met in the National League Championship Series during the last Golden Era of Philadelphia baseball, in both 2008 and 2009. They won both series, 4-1, en route to their back to back NL pennants.
Going back to postseason matchups with the Schmidt and Carlton teams of 1977, 1978, and 1983, the Phillies have an all time 13-9 record against LA in October.
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