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The Phillies are Going to the Postseason
By Luke Arcaini
Published:
It came down to the last nine innings of the regular season, but the Phillies are going to the playoffs for the 5th year in a row.
Sunday morning at Citizens Bank Park was eerie. The tarp was on the field, the air was cold, and the rain wasn’t stopping. Major League Baseball made the call to move the game up a half hour to try and avoid some rain that was forecasted later in the day.
Zack Wheeler, who went out with thoracic outlet syndrome just over a year ago, was called upon for Game 162. That was not the Phillies’ plan. In fact, that was their nightmare scenario. But the last two weeks have all been a nightmare, and they had no choice but to throw their ace in a game that was supposed to be meaningless a week ago.
Sunday’s crowd at the ballpark was not sold out. There were holes in the seats, due to a combination of an utter collapse and a Nor’easter that hit Philadelphia. But the crowd was still here, and the people that were here were heard.
The Phillies have felt tense for a week. They know their backs are against the walls, even though they were “in the drivers seat.” They needed a moment early in the game that woke up the crowd and gave them the confidence to win a ballgame.
Bryson Stott smoked a double off the wall in the first inning to give the Phillies the lead and score Kyle Schwarber from 1st base. Stott looked at the dugout, let out a yell, and five big claps. That, right there, felt like the moment the Phillies needed:
After that, the floodgates opened up.
Stott’s 3-hit day, home runs from Bryce Harper and Edmundo Sosa, a couple RBIs from JT Realmuto and Brandon Marsh, and more, gave the Phillies arms insurance all day, which is what has been lacking over the last several weeks.
Wheeler was lights out all day, because of course he was. The lights were brightest, and the Phillies needed their ace. That’s when you get the best version of Wheeler, who tossed 6 innings of 1-run ball while striking out 5 with no walks.
While Wheeler may not be able to go until an emergency situation in Game 3 on Thursday, that wasn’t Sunday’s focus. Because there was no Thursday without a win on Sunday. The Phillies had a four-run lead heading into the 8th, but it was the same case for Jesús Luzardo, who ran in from the bullpen to Dreams and Nightmares. Luzardo was reinstated from the 15-day IL earlier on Sunday, and the Phillies wanted him to face hitters before he pitches in the postseason. He tossed a four-pitch, 1-2-3 8th inning.
Jhoan Duran would close it out for the Phillies, who have now clinched their 5th-straight postseason appearance. The Phillies will travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves for the third time in five years. They are familiar with the challenge, and they haven’t lost a postseason series to the Braves in this era of Phillies baseball. It’ll come down to what version of the Phillies you get, but isn’t that always the case?
After weeks of bad baseball, everything just went the Phillies way on Sunday. Maybe that’s a sign for the postseason, or maybe it isn’t. But it was refreshing to see this team go out and take care of business. All it took was some offense, a pushed up start time, and a lot of diamond dry.
Luke Arcaini has been writing about the Phillies for 6 seasons, and is now in his 2nd year covering for Phillies down at Citizens Bank Park for Crossing Broad. Follow him on Twitter @ArcainiLuke