The Cubs are suddenly in a spot they probably didn’t expect to be watching this closely: not just what they’re doing on the road, but what Philadelphia is doing every night too.
Chicago had been rolling away from Wrigley Field, stacking up nine straight road series wins before heading to Seattle. That trip has not gone smoothly. Even with Alex Bregman launching three home runs, the Cubs dropped the first two games against the struggling Mariners, and that has tightened the race at the top of the National League Wild Card standings.
The team chasing them now is the Phillies, and they’re coming hard. Philadelphia finished off a 6-4 win over the St.
Louis Cardinals to complete a three-game sweep, stretching its winning streak to nine games. That leaves the Phillies just 1.5 games behind the Cubs for the No.
1 Wild Card spot.
That matters a lot. The top two Wild Card positions are not the same prize. The No. 1 seed gets the No. 2 seed in the first round, and every game in that matchup would be played at the higher seed’s home park.
Under normal circumstances, Chicago would have loved watching the Cardinals get swept. St.
Louis had just taken two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. But with the Phillies charging, the Cubs had reason to hope the Cardinals could slow down Philadelphia instead.
That didn’t happen. Former Cub Kyle Schwarber came through again for the Phillies, hitting his 39th home run and driving in two runs. The Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it barely slowed down the hottest team in baseball.
For Chicago, the focus now turns back to Seattle, where the Cubs are trying to salvage the final game of the series. After that, the road gets tougher still, with three games in the desert against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Just Got More Proof Their Broadcast Booth Is Special
Another piece of evidence that the Phillies broadcast booth is one of the sports better draws arrived this week, with Awful Announcing ranking the clubs announcing crew sixth in Major League Baseball after surveying nearly 10,000 fans. The list reflects what Phillies viewers and listeners have long felt across both TV and radio: this is a booth with real personality, strong chemistry and a knack for making a long season feel a little more entertaining.
Tom McCarthy and Scott Franzke anchor the play-by-play side, while John Kruk, Ruben Amaro Jr., Ben Davis and Cole Hamels give the booth a mix of perspective and style that keeps it in a league of its own. Fan appeal matters in a market that lives and dies with its baseball coverage, and this ranking is a reminder that the Phillies have built something that resonates well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Have Found A Needed Answer For Their Overworked Staff
The Phillies added a familiar name to their pitching mix this week, signing former All-Star Nestor Cortes Jr. in a move aimed at easing the burden on an overworked staff. Cortes is still working back from offseason surgery, so his first stop will be with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers as he builds toward major league readiness.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious even before the team sorts out his exact role. The club has not said whether Cortes will return as a starter or slide into a swingman assignment, but either path would give the Phillies another layer of depth at a time when every healthy arm matters. If he progresses as hoped, he could become the kind of useful midseason answer that keeps the rotation from wearing down. [Read more 🡒]
Don Mattinglys Trea Turner Read Should Grab Phillies Fans Attention
Don Mattingly had a sharp read on Trea Turners hitting approach after the Phillies rolled past the Cardinals 12-3, and it came at a time when Turners season has carried a little more scrutiny than usual. In his 12th major league season and fourth in Philadelphia, Turner has seen his batting average dip, but he still turned in a solid showing in the win, giving the club another reminder of how dangerous he can look when hes on time at the plate.
For the Phillies, sitting at 72-58 and holding second place in the NL East, Turners bat remains one of the lineups biggest swing factors as the stretch run tightens. Mattinglys comments should stand out to fans because they speak to more than one game - they touch on the larger question of whether Turner can keep settling in and deliver the kind of production Philadelphia needs once the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]