The Last Stand: Ranger Suarez takes the mound as the Phillies look to salvage the series and save the season against the Chicago Cubs
The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Chicago Cubs for the second time in as many nights on Wednesday, losing 4-2 with Aaron Nola on the mound.
The loss was the Phillies fourth straight and they are now losers of seven out of their last 10 games, with just eight games remaining in the 2022 regular season.
The Brewers escaped with a win last night against the St. Louis Cardinals, trimming Philadelphia’s lead for the third and final NL Wild Card spot to just a half-game. Luckily, the Phillies own the tiebreaker over the Brewers, which gives them a bit more padding over the final week of the season.
NL Wild Card Standings
Today, Ranger Suarez will take the mound for the Fightins against Javier Assad looking to salvage the three game series against the Cubs.
To say that the Phillies desperately need a win today would be an understatement.
Sure, they are still holding on to the third Wild Card spot for dear life, I just don’t think a sweep down the stretch would give anyone much confidence heading into a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.
Note: I can’t continue to watch “Phillies Twitter” roll around in their own tears on online like the world is ending with every addition to the Phillies’ loss column.
I get it. Things are NOT going well for the Phillies and the entire city of Philadelphia is going through some major PTSD about this team and how things unfold in September every single year, but can we please pull it together?
For those remaining, we have made it through 154 games this season and the Phillies currently hold a Wild Card spot. Every single baseball team goes through slumps and cold streaks. It’s bad timing that it’s happening now but it’s also important to remember that all cold streaks come to an end.
As a hopeless optimistic, let’s move forward with the thought that the Phillies are going to get hot again over the final eight games of the season and cruise into the Wild Card series against whoever ready to do some damage.
Last night, the Phillies were 2-for-16 with RISP. I’ll say it again, 2-for-16 with RISP.
2-for-16 with RISP. Things must return to the mean! The law of averages demands it!
Phillies at Cubs – Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| TEAM | SPREAD | MONEY | TOTAL |
| Philadelphia Phillies | -1.5 (-122) | -210 | O 8 (-105) |
| Chicago Cubs | +1.5 (+102) | +176 | U 8 (-115) |
Bet on FanDuel | Bet on DraftKings | Bet on PointsBet | Bet on BetMGM
Starting Pitchers
Phillies: Ranger Suarez (10-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 122 strikeouts)
Cubs: Javier Assad (1-2, 4.28 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 23 strikeouts)
Starting Lineup
Today, the Phillies will go with Nick “The Next Chase Utley” Maton at shortstop to give the struggling Bryson Stott a much needed day off. In right field, Matt Vierling will get the start over Nick Castellanos, who went 3-for-4 last night.
We can look ahead to the Washington Nationals series and the weather implications this weekend thanks to Hurricane Ian tomorrow.
Right now, Ranger Suarez and the Phillies desperately need a win to stop the bleeding. With eight games left, the season is FAR FROM OVER, but for the love of all things holy, a win today should help ease the minds of not only the fanbase who are mentally falling apart, but the Phillies team as a whole.
