The Phillies are headed into the second-to-last game of their regular season with very little room for error, and they’re leaning hard into desperation mode to get through it.
With their Magic Number sitting at two, Philadelphia needs a win in Game 2 of its series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The problem is the pitching plan is already stretched thin. Jesus Luzardo is on the injury list, which means another bullpen game is coming, and the Phillies are piecing together 27 outs however they can.
Aaron Nola is the first answer. After throwing 88 pitches in his start on Wednesday, he’s getting the ball to open the game on just two days of rest.
The Phillies have been holding back the veteran since that outing, aware he might be needed this weekend. Beyond Nola, interim manager Don Mattingly can basically take the game one arm at a time.
Jose Urquidy is one name that could be in the mix again after what he did last week. In his debut after being claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, he worked 4.2 shutout innings against the New York Mets.
Mattingly also reached into the lineup card and made several changes, a clear response to the absence of second baseman Luis Arraez and an offense that has gone quiet. The biggest surprise is Trea Turner sliding back into the leadoff spot despite a rough season and an especially rough September. Kyle Schwarber is back in the No. 2 spot.
Bryce Harper stays in the three-hole, but he’s no longer in right field. He’s moving back to first base, with Mattingly returning to the alignment the club used heavily before Arraez was acquired from the San Francisco Giants ahead of the deadline.
Alec Bohm is batting cleanup and handling third base, followed by Bryson Stott, who is back at second and hitting fifth. Bryan De La Cruz is in right field and batting sixth.
Brandon Marsh is seventh in left field, J.T. Realmuto hits eighth behind the plate, and Justin Crawford rounds out the order at No. 9 in center field.
The Phillies will try to spark something against Rays starter Griffin Jax, who has been rolling lately. He’s allowed one run in his last three starts and has turned in two straight five-inning shutout outings.
In Other News...
Rays Make A Bullpen Move With Bigger October Implications
The Rays made another bullpen adjustment as they continue to manage innings with the top spot in the American League already secured. Tampa Bay reinstated right-hander Manuel Rodrguez from the 15-day injured list and moved right-hander Jake Woodford off the roster to make room, a reminder that even with the standings settled, the club is still treating the back end of the season like a rehearsal for what comes next.
Woodford now goes on waivers and could either elect free agency or accept an outright assignment, while Rodrguez returns to give the Rays another arm they can plug into a bullpen that has been shaped as much by workload as by performance. For a team that has spent much of the season juggling pitchers carefully, the move carries a bigger October feel than a standard late-season transaction. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Painful Freddy Peralta Reality This October
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Peraltas sharper run with the Rays has also pushed his free-agent stock upward, which is where the long view gets uneasy for Tampa Bay. There is already speculation about a possible move to San Diego this offseason, and the Rays expected reluctance to spend heavily until the new stadium is built only adds to the uncertainty around whether they can keep a pitcher who has changed their October outlook. [Read more 🡒]
Chandler Simpson Gives Rays A Playoff Element Opponents Rarely See
Chandler Simpson is giving the Rays something a lot of October teams do not have to plan for. The 25-year-old is set for his postseason debut as Tampa Bay returns to the playoffs, bringing a different kind of threat to the table with a high batting average, a game built around contact, and speed that has already produced 46 stolen bases this season.
Simpson also has quietly added value in the outfield, where his defensive work has improved as the year has gone on. He has not hit a home run this season, but that has hardly been the point for a player whose impact comes from putting pressure on defenses, turning singles into movement, and forcing opponents to account for a runner who can change an inning in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]