MLB’s latest playoff schedule release did the league no favors with Phillies fans, and not just because it landed before the team had even clinched on Sunday.
The Wild Card slate, as posted by MLB, sets things up with 2 p.m. starts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday if the series runs the full three games. That was enough to send the usual frustration boiling over, because it puts postseason baseball squarely in the middle of the workday.
That’s the part that never makes sense: baseball’s best product, delivered at the worst possible time. A playoff game at 2 p.m. on a weekday asks fans to ignore jobs, spouses, kids, dinner plans, school pickups, and everything else that fills a normal afternoon. MLB could easily create prime-time windows instead, but keeps leaning into afternoon starts that don’t match how most people actually live.
The Phillies’ side of the bracket brings another wrinkle. This is the third time in five years they’ve had to travel to Atlanta, the NL East winner, and in both previous trips they took Game 1.
This time, though, the pitching picture changes because Zack Wheeler won’t be available early in the series. The expectation is that he could be an insurance policy for Game 3, or possibly work on short rest after throwing Game 162.
The pitching plan is still to be determined.
And because the first two games land in September, the familiar October branding doesn’t quite fit. Call it what you want, but as noted here, it’s hard to call this Red October.
Happy Red September!
In Other News...
Falcons Defense Could Seize Control In Division Showdown
Monday night brings a familiar kind of pressure for the Falcons, only with more at stake than usual: a trip to New Orleans with first place in the NFC South on the line. Atlantas defense has built its identity around stopping the run, and that strength now meets a Saints offense that may have to lean even harder on its ground game with Travis Etienne expected to sit because of a hamstring injury.
For the Falcons, that is exactly the sort of matchup that can tilt a division race. New Orleans still has Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson available in the backfield, but Kamara has not been as effective as he once was as a runner, which puts even more weight on a group that already ranks among the leagues toughest against the run. If Atlanta can control that area again, the rest of the night starts to look a lot simpler. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Judon Gets Another Shot To Prove Raheem Morris Right
Matt Judon is getting another crack at the kind of opportunity that can change a veterans season, this time with the San Francisco 49ers. The four-time Pro Bowler is signing to the practice squad and could be elevated to the active roster, giving a thin edge-rush group some much-needed depth while Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are out.
For Falcons followers, the more familiar part of the story is the connection back to Raheem Morris, who once coached Judon in Atlanta before taking over as the 49ers defensive coordinator. Morris has long valued disruptive pressure off the edge, and Judon now has a chance to show he still fits that mold in a different locker room, under circumstances that could put him back in the rotation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookies Are Already Changing Atlantas Depth Chart
Through the first three weeks, Atlantas rookie class has already started to leave a mark on the depth chart, with Avieon Terrell, Zachariah Branch, Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. all showing why the Falcons were eager to get them on the field. Their roles and playing time have been trending in a way that suggests this group is not just filling out the roster, but pushing for real opportunities as the season develops.
The early returns have been encouraging enough to change the conversation around where these rookies fit, and in some cases, how quickly they can rise. Snap counts and on-field impact are still evolving, which is exactly what makes this such an interesting subplot for Atlanta - the Falcons appear to have found a class that could keep reshaping its pecking order as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]