Red October: Where the Phillies stand after taking 2-of-3 from the Miami Marlins
The Philadelphia Phillies failed to sweep Miami last night, losing 5-3 to the Marlins and snapping a five-game winning streak.
With the Phillies loss and the San Diego Padres losing (again) to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Milwaukee Brewers inched a half-game closer to the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League standings.
Regardless, there are 19 games left in the 2022 MLB regular season, the Phillies have already reached the 80-win mark and currently possess the second NL Wild Card spot with a 2.5 game advantage over the Padres. They lead the Brewers by four games.
Phillies Wild Card Standings
In the National League East, the New York Mets made quick work of the Pittsburgh Pirates after getting embarrassed at home and getting swept by the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week.
The Mets now hold a one game advantage in the division against the Atlanta Braves, the team the Phillies will open up a three game series with on the road tonight.
The Phillies will face the Braves seven more times before the the final stretch of the season. The series is currently split at 6-6 this season.
After three with the Braves, the Fightins return home to play two games against the Toronto Blue Jays then four at home against the Atlanta Braves.
That will be the last time the Phillies are in Philadelphia until at the earliest, mid-October.
While ending the season on a 10-game road trip, and then a likely Wild Card series that will include three games on the road, sounds completely miserable and almost the final nail in the coffin for the 2022 Phillies, I wouldn’t be so sure.
The Phillies are a decent team on the road, with a record of 36-32 and their opponents are certainly nothing to write home about.
The first seven games on the road trip are against the Chicago Cubs, who are 21 games below .500 and then the Washington Nationals, who the Phillies absolutely destroy this season. The final three games of the regular season are in Houston against the Astros, who are currently coasting to an AL West Crown.
If the Phillies can lock up a Wild Card spot over the next 15 games, they should have plenty of time to make sure their key pitchers and players get some rest before heading into the playoffs, a luxury that the Braves and/or Mets will likely not have.
The Mets and Braves are still in a tight race for the NL East title. It will be interesting how both teams handle their starting rotations while battling it out for the NL East. The Phillies could get a bit of luck and enter a Wild Card series with the Mets and/or Braves not having their best pitchers on the mound, which could fall into the Phillies favor.
The Hunt for Red October Continues.
Mandatory Credit: The Philadelphia Phillies
