The Philadelphia Phillies earned their well-deserved break this week by consistently being one of the top teams in Major League Baseball throughout the season. Their success secured them the NL East title and a first-round bye, allowing them to skip the Wild Card round.
Recently, there’s been debate about whether time off harms teams with byes more than it helps. However, for the Phillies, this break proved beneficial, allowing them to recover from injuries that had been affecting them toward the end of the season. It also gave manager Rob Thomson time to consider important roster and pitching decisions, particularly who would start Game 2.
Initially, the discussion centered around Aaron Nola, who had filled that role for the past two years. But with Cristopher Sanchez’s strong home-road splits, the young left-hander emerged as a serious contender for the spot. According to Matt Gelb of *The Athletic*, Thomson has decided to go with Sanchez for Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park, while Nola will start Game 3 at Citi Field.
This decision was carefully considered by Thomson, who consulted with his coaches and players in late September. Nola is a key figure in the clubhouse, and Thomson had to ensure there wouldn’t be any backlash for adjusting the rotation.
On Saturday afternoon, Zack Wheeler delivered a stellar performance in the Phillies’ playoff opener against the New York Mets, pitching seven innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out nine while giving up no earned runs. Despite Wheeler’s dominance, the Phillies led by only 1–0 when he left the game. The Mets turned the tide in the eighth inning, scoring five runs and ultimately winning 6–2.
After the game, first baseman Bryce Harper expressed his frustration with the offense’s lack of production. “Wheeler pitched incredibly again,” Harper said. “Every time he’s on the mound, he gives us a great chance to win.” Wheeler, who made his second All-Star team in 2024 after finishing sixth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2023, went 16-7 with 224 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA this season.
Harper didn’t hold back his disappointment: “We wasted that start. Chasing bad pitches… we didn’t work the counts like we should have. We’ve got to understand their game plan and adjust.”
