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 discussion about whether time off is more detrimental than beneficial for teams with byes. However, for the Phillies, this break has been advantageous, allowing them to heal from injuries that plagued them late in the season. It also gave manager Rob Thomson a chance to weigh important roster and pitching decisions, especially regarding the Game 2 starter.
Initially, the focus was on Aaron Nola, who has held that role for the past two years. However, due to Cristopher Sanchez’s impressive home-road performance, the young left-hander became a strong candidate for the position. According to Matt Gelb of *The Athletic*, Thomson has opted for Sanchez to start Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park, while Nola will pitch in Game 3 at Citi Field.
Thomson carefully weighed his decision, consulting with coaches and players in late September. Nola is an important presence in the clubhouse, so Thomson needed to ensure there would be no negative reactions to the rotation change.
On Saturday afternoon, Zack Wheeler had an impressive outing in the Phillies’ playoff opener against the New York Mets, pitching seven innings with only one hit allowed, striking out nine, and giving up no earned runs. Despite Wheeler’s brilliance, the Phillies led just 1–0 when he exited the game. The Mets flipped the script in the eighth inning, scoring five runs and ultimately winning 6–2.
After the game, first baseman Bryce Harper voiced his frustration about the offense’s struggles. “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, ended the season with a record of 16-7, 224 strikeouts, and a 2.57 ERA.
Harper expressed his disappointment openly: “We wasted that start. We were chasing bad pitches and didn’t work the counts as we should have. We need to understand their game plan and make adjustments.”
