The Phillies head into Game 162 with the simplest kind of math and the messiest kind of backdrop: beat the Rays and they’re in the postseason.
That’s the assignment. The problem is that Philadelphia hasn’t exactly looked like a team ready to breeze through the finish line. The offense has gone cold at the worst possible time, turning what once seemed like a sure thing into a tense final-day battle.
Now the weather is adding its own pressure. With Tampa Bay in town at Citizens Bank Park, a nor’easter hammering the East Coast has forced the Phillies to move first pitch up to 2:30 p.m.
ET from 3:05 p.m. ET in hopes of getting the game in before the weather turns.
The club said on its official X account that it will keep monitoring conditions and share updates as quickly as possible.
This isn’t the first time the weather has gotten involved. Game 2 on Saturday night was delayed by rain, and the game itself featured steady precipitation and strong winds throughout.
Philadelphia’s cold stretch has lined up with a surge from the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose loss to the San Diego Padres last night ended a six-game winning streak. So the Phillies are fighting on two fronts now: trying to shake their slump and trying to do it before the elements interfere again.
The urgency is clear. A win gives the Phillies the final Wild Card spot in the National League. But getting there may come at a cost, because Zack Wheeler is lined up to start the regular-season finale in an effort to get the club over the line.
That also means Wheeler is expected to be unavailable for the NLWC if Philadelphia qualifies, since that series begins Tuesday at Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves.
The pitching picture gets even murkier after Aaron Nola worked on two days’ rest and threw one inning on Saturday. He had originally been lined up for Game 1 of the NLWC, with Cristopher Sanchez slated for Game 2 and Andrew Painter for Game 3.
None of that matters, though, until the Phillies actually clinch. For now, the whole operation comes down to one thing: get the bats going and win today.
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