Phillies face must-win finale to clinch final NL wild-card spot
The Philadelphia Phillies must win their last game or rely on an Arizona loss to secure the National League's final wild-card berth as the regular season ends Sunday.
The Philadelphia Phillies enter the final day of the regular season needing a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays or a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the San Diego Padres to clinch the National League's last wild-card spot. Arizona holds the tiebreaker over Philadelphia, so both teams are tied at 87-74 and 86-75 respectively.
The Phillies entered the final stretch tied with the Chicago Cubs and Padres at 87-70, while the Diamondbacks trailed by four games. Since then, Arizona has posted a 3-1 record, beating the Rockies twice and the Padres once before falling to San Diego. In the same period, Philadelphia has gone 0-4, losing twice to the Milwaukee Brewers and twice to the Rays, being outscored 23-3.
The Phillies' recent rotation moves include starting Aaron Nola on two days' rest, after which he allowed four hits and three runs in a single inning. On Sunday, Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start, and reliever Jesús Luzardo has been activated.
If the Phillies win on Sunday, they will still face the Atlanta Braves in a best-of-three wild-card series beginning Tuesday. The club, which posted back-to-back division titles, carries a payroll of $289 million and features several players in their early thirties, including Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler. The organization’s farm system was ranked 26th by MLB Pipeline.
The outcome of the final game will determine whether Philadelphia advances to the postseason or begins an offseason with roster and performance questions.