The Phillies are running out of margin for error, and that’s putting Saturday’s pitching plan under the microscope.
A few days ago, Philadelphia looked like it had a firm grip on its postseason path. That picture has changed fast.
Arizona has surged with a six-game winning streak, while the Phillies have not won a series since beating the Diamondbacks when the calendar turned from August to September. After Friday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia’s Magic Number is still two, and the math is simple: the Phillies have to finish a game ahead of Arizona because the Diamondbacks own the tiebreaker.
That makes Saturday a must-win game, even before you get into the challenge of covering 27 outs against the No. 1 seed in the American League. With Jesus Luzardo sidelined, the Phillies have already been forced into a bullpen game the last three times through that rotation spot, and that looks likely to happen again.
The wrinkle this time is Aaron Nola.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), the veteran starter could be used out of the bullpen to help Philadelphia get through a critical night.
“They are at a desperate point, having to thrust everything into the final two days just to qualify for the postseason. Saturday’s pitching plan could include Aaron Nola, who threw 88 pitches in Wednesday’s game. The Phillies have peeled back his between-starts routine; Nola could pitch a few innings as a reliever in Saturday’s game,” Gelb wrote.
If Nola does get called on, it would be a notable move with bigger implications still ahead. He is currently lined up to start Game 1 of the NLWC if the Phillies qualify, so his role Saturday could affect how the rest of the postseason picture lines up.
There’s a clear path if things break right. If Philadelphia wins and Arizona loses, the Phillies would lock up the final Wild Card spot. That would allow Zack Wheeler’s start to be pushed from Sunday to Game 1 of the NLWC, with Cristopher Sanchez taking Game 2 and Nola available again for Game 3 if needed.
For a bullpen that has been stretched thin, any extra innings matter. Interim manager Don Mattingly would almost certainly welcome a few steady frames from Nola if that’s the way Saturday unfolds.
Philadelphia does have a couple of other arms it can lean on. Jose Urquidy gave the club a strong lift last week, tossing 4.2 shutout innings against the New York Mets. Nestor Cortes is also still in the mix after signing a Major League deal a few weeks ago.
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Zack Wheeler could end up being forced into a short-rest assignment if Philadelphia still has not locked down a playoff berth before the final game of the regular season, and that is not the kind of place this team wanted to be. Jess Luzardo remains on the injured list, which only adds to the uncertainty, and the Phillies would rather lean on as few pitchers as possible once October begins. [Read more 🡒]