Dodgers will be tested by a team that is rested: Philly

Now comes the hard part.

- BILL PLASCHKE

DODGERS STARTER Yoshinobu Yamamoto lets out a roar after pitching his way out of a bases-loaded jam during the sixth inning against the Reds in Game 2.

The Cincinnati Reds are shreds of what's next.

The wildcard series is a joker compared to the waiting full house.

The Dodgers easily swept the best-of-three duel with the overmatched Reds on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium with a frolicking 8-4 victory... just in time to uneasily hike into the home of heated hardball.

Philadelphia Phillies, here they come.

The National League's most dangerous and determined team, here they are.

Bryce Harper, good heavens.

Kyle Schwarber, dear Lord.

That deep rotation. That fiery closer. That nutty crowd! And, oh, that damn history.

Barely two weeks ago, the Dodgers hosted the Phillies with a chance to sweep them and steal a first-round bye. They were, instead, battered like an old broom, the bullpen blowing two games and the Phillies eventually finishing with the National League’s second-best record and that first-round vacation.

The Dodgers were penalized by having to play these two games against the Reds. And as a reward for their sweeping success, they have been sentenced to travel to Philadelphia for a best-of-five division series beginning Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

A place that attracted 27,000 this week just for a workout, incidentally.

It says here, if the Dodgers can defeat the favored Phillies, that clears their path to a second consecutive World Series championship, as no other remaining team has the matching juice.

But, in a short series, with Philadelphia's pitching fully rested and its injuries mostly healed, can the Dodgers really pull it off? They lost four of six to them during the regular season in which the Phillies, unlike many other teams, seemed completely unintimidated and fully up to the challenge.

The Dodgers say they're more than ready.