Aaron Nola kept rolling Thursday night, and the Phillies kept shaving away at their postseason checklist.
Philadelphia opened a four-game set in New York with a 3-0 win over the Mets, its second straight shutout victory by that same score. The result came after a win against the Washington Nationals and gave the Phillies another meaningful step forward in a crowded National League Wild Card race.
Nola was once again the headliner. The right-hander turned in another strong outing as he continues to look far more like the ace Philadelphia needs, especially with Jesus Luzardo sidelined by injury. After the struggles he dealt with last year and earlier this season, Nola has pushed those issues aside and has been pitching excellently of late.
The win also brought the Phillies closer to locking up a playoff berth. Their magic number is now five.
Philadelphia has a chance to get there with some outside help over the weekend, too. The New York Yankees can aid the cause by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Phillies can keep doing their part by taking care of business against the Mets. New York is still chasing the Tampa Bay Rays, so it figures to bring its best against Arizona.
The Phillies’ first priority is the playoff berth, but they still have another number in front of them. They are four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the division, and while catching them does not look likely, the gap remains there.
There is also more than one race in play. With the win, Philadelphia is tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top wild card spot, which would carry home-field advantage in the wild card round. The San Diego Padres are still right there as well, sitting just one game back.
For now, the Phillies are in a strong spot. The standings are tight, every game matters, and starting this series with the Mets the right way gave them exactly what they needed. Now they’ll wait to see if a little help arrives over the weekend.
In Other News...
Phillies Have A Growing 2027 Roster Problem Fans Can See Coming
The Phillies have spent much of this season trying to balance a win-now roster with the reality that the back end of the roster does not always age gracefully. That tension is starting to show when you look ahead to 2027, where a few familiar names could be facing a much shakier path to staying in Philadelphia if their current trends continue.
Catching depth is part of the issue, with Rafael Marchn and Garrett Stubbs both coming off declining production, while Orion Kerkerings struggles have complicated his standing even as his trade value remains a real factor. The left-handed relief group has also been uneven, as Tanner Banks and Jos Alvarado have not delivered the kind of consistency the Phillies would want, and Brandon Marshs downturn only adds to the sense that some roster decisions may be getting harder before long. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Big Jess Luzardo Decision Ahead
Jess Luzardos path back to the Phillies took another step forward this week, as the left-hander has been cleared to begin a throwing program after landing on the injured list with shoulder stiffness. The absence cost him starts and forced Philadelphia to manage its rotation without one of its more interesting arms, but the encouraging part is that his recovery is moving in the right direction and a return later in the season remains on the table.
What comes next may matter just as much as the comeback itself. The Phillies are weighing whether Luzardo should re-enter the mix as a starter or slide into a relief role when hes ready, a decision that could shape both the rotation and bullpen down the stretch. For a club trying to sort out every meaningful inning, the way they handle him could become one of the more quietly important calls of the second half. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Marsh Has Become A Huge Phillies Problem At Worst Time
Brandon Marshs season has taken a sharp turn in the second half, and the timing has made his slump a real issue for the Phillies. Before the All-Star break, he was giving them the kind of steady production that made his spot in the lineup feel secure, hitting .301 with an .829 OPS and looking like a dependable presence in the outfield.
Since then, the numbers have fallen off hard, with a .179 average and a .474 OPS over 56 games, and Philadelphias offensive problems have only grown around it. For a team trying to get its bats lined up for the stretch run, Marshs slide has become more than an individual rough patch - its one of the problems the Phillies have had to keep working around. [Read more 🡒]