Series Preview: Phillies travel to the Windy City, kick off a 3-game set against the Chicago Cubs
With just 10 games left in the 2022 MLB regular season, The Hunt for Red October continues as the Phillies look to punch their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
Tonight kicks off a 3-game set against the Chicago Cubs, the first of three series on the road to close out the 2022 regular season. Zack Wheeler (11-7, 2.98 ERA) will get the ball tonight for the Fightins, going up against Marcus Stroman (4-7, 3.80 ERA).
The magic number currently sits at 8, as the Phillies, Brewers, and Padres all had the day off on Monday. Here’s what the NL Wild Card standings currently look like.
Phillies Hold the Final Seed by 1.5 Games (2.5 with tiebreaker)
The road to the playoffs will be harder for the Phillies than these other two teams, as the Brewers and Padres all play their final 9-10 games at home.
Final Schedules
| Phillies | Brewers | Padres |
| 3 @ Cubs | 2 vs. Cardinals | 3 vs. Dodgers |
| 4 @ Nats | 4 vs. Marlins | 3 vs. White Sox |
| 3 @ Astros | 3 vs. Diamondbacks | 3 vs. Giants |
Although the homestand felt like a failure, coming out of six games vs. the Blue Jays and Braves, two playoff teams, with a split, was enough to keep the Phillies in a strong position to secure a Wild Card spot. Even though they are on the road for the last 10 games, the Phillies now gear up to play two bad teams over their next 7 games.
Here’s how things need to shake out for the Phillies to hold off the Brewers over the next week.
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Series Pitching Matchups
Rob Thomson flipped the rotation during the Braves series, using the day off to get the Phillies’ rotation set for the playoffs. Aaron Nola will pitch game 2 of this series, which sets him up for Game 160 against the Astros (a potential clinching game). Nola will then be on full rest for Game 2 of a WC series.
- Tuesday: Zack Wheeler vs. Marcus Stroman
- Wednesday: Aaron Nola vs. Hayden Wesnewski
- Thursday: Ranger Suarez vs. Javier Assad
Zack Wheeler vs. Marcus Stroman
Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Fightins tonight, making his 12th road start of the year. Wheeler is coming off his first outing back from the IL, where he threw four scoreless innings against the Blue Jays and allowed just two hits.
Wheeler is 11-7 on the season with a 2.98 ERA and 151 Ks, along with a 1.06 WHIP. Marcus Stroman has been horrible at home for Chicago this year, holding a 6.31 ERA in 10 starts at Wrigley. He’s 4-7 total on the year with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Phillies | -1.5 (+105) | -172 | O6.5 (-120) |
| Cubs | +1.5 (-126) | +144 | U6.5 (-102) |
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Reminder: Every Phillies win counts as -1 towards the Magic Number going down. If the Brewers lose, that counts as an additional -1. The Magic Number is currently 8.
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