Philadelphia Phillies – Threeunassisted

Phillies Are Down 2-0 and Our Home Is Not Happy

It’s bad enough that New York Mets folded down the stretch and missed the playoffs. The New York Yankees trailing in their best of five series 2-0 is worse. Now, on top of all that, the Philadelphia Phillies have made it the wrong kind of triple play, finding themselves down 2-0 in their Divisional series. Needless to say, our household, both near and far is not doing too well in this postseason. To make matters worse, the Phillies now have to travel to Los Angeles to try and salvage their season, hopefully winning two straight and then trying to complete the comeback by winning a fifth game at Citizens Bank Park.

Rob Thomson’s face says it all. Credit: NY Post

Caitlyn just had her spirits elevated and then crushed within the span of five minutes. At least during the course of the game, she provided us with some funny comments:

“I spend enough time and energy into this team only for them NOT to spend enough time and energy to try and win the World Series”

“They are better off pulling a random fan from the stands and telling them today is your lucky day”-this as she saw the Phillies make a pitching change.

In Saturday’s Game 1 loss, it was a carbon copy of last year’s Game 1 divisional loss. We were at Siena for family weekend. The Phillies had a late lead disintegrate thanks to the bullpen. The game was at home. Matt Strahm was a part of both games. Their starting pitchers threw well enough to win. It’s amazing and painful to see how similar both games were.

Should the Phillies and Yankees lose their respective series this week, it will make the shortest playoff stints for our collective teams in four years. The Phillies would be the most painful. Two straight divisional titles, two straight divisional round exits and one unhappy daughter. The ending to the baseball season doesn’t get more depressing than that.

Nick Castellanos Is Making Waves At the Wrong Time

The Philadelphia Phillies should not be sweating anything right now. Their biggest worry is supposed to be lining up their rotation for the playoffs. Alec Bohm is back in the lineup and Trea Turner is scheduled to face live pitching when the team returns home. A playoff bye is in sight, and the team has a chance to claim the best record in baseball. However, one guy is threatening to send the Phils into October on a bit of a Debbie Downer. This is not the first time Nick Castellanos has made questionable comments this season as it relates to his playing time. But they do come at a point of the season when all of the focus of the team should be on winning the World Series.

Nick Castellanos seems to be unhappy. Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer

This post was originally going to be about which starting pitcher will not get a turn in the National League Division series between Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola and Jesus Luzardo. That can still be debated in this space sometime over the next week. However, when cruising around looking for news, I came across this latest Castellanos quote, courtesy of On Pattison’s Grace Del Pizzo:

Q: Do you understand why you haven’t been playing as much as your normally would?

Castellanos: Uh, I don’t really talk to Rob [Thomson] all that often, so that’s just … I play whenever he tells me to play. And then I sit whenever he tells me to sit.

Q: So the coaches or Rob don’t sit down and explain to you what they want you to do in whatever role they want you to have?

Castellanos: Uh, communication over the years has been questionable, at least in my experience. But also, I grew up communicating with somebody like my father, which is very blunt, direct and consistent.

I attached the full transcript here. It reads like a guy who is frustrated with a deceased role. Castellanos does go on to say that him saying he was “unhappy” would be “creating a narrative”. He clearly is trying to thread a needle between stating his clear disappointment and the team’s goal of winning a World Series. Nothing else in the interview suggests that Castellanos is trying to cause a distraction (at least intentionally) for the Phillies. However, it is a bad look to be saying a week before the season ends that the manager hasn’t been a good communicator with him.

As guy who has enjoyed much success during the course of his career, Nick Castellanos is feeling hurt with a decreased role. I can’t blame Rob Thomson for employing his outfield rotation. Castellanos’s production has slipped. I also don’t blame him for his reaction to all of the questions. I just wish he could find a way to express his feelings a little differently.

Can the Phillies Please Clinch the Division Tonight?

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched a playoff spot yesterday. However, I’d like to call it a muted celebration because the team did not win yesterday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Instead, they “backed” in by virtue of a loss by the San Francisco Giants. Now the Phils head out on a difficult road trip, visiting the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s real simple: one more victory and Philadelphia repeats as National League East champions.

I expect to see JT Realmuto catching the final out tonight. Credit: Sports Illustrated

For all that is good in the world, and for my sweet daughter Caitlyn, please clinch the division tonight.

Don’t fool around. Don’t drag this out any longer. Hang five runs on Anthony Banda in the first inning and let Ranger Suarez cook. Have Kyle Schwarber boost his MVP credentials with a three run home run in the third inning. Make those notorious Dodger fans leave in the fifth inning instead of the seventh. Let’s have Caitlyn go into school tomorrow in a fabulous mood. If the Phils lose tonight, I will be peppered with things like, “why do we stink” or, “can the Mets catch us” or my personal potential favorite, “we are regressing”. I don’t need such talk at 7: 30 AM and neither does Matthew. I’ll have to play “Dancing on My Own”, the team’s 2022 song, on a loop in order for her to feel better. No offense to the song because I like it but we need to hear it after a win, not a loss.

It’s an hour before first pitch. I’ll make three innings at most. And when I wake up in the morning, I want footage of champagne and beer goggles. It’s not a lot to ask.

Are the Phillies Getting Hot At the Right Time?

I sit here on Wednesday night watching the Philadelphia Phillies beating up on the New York Mets yet again. The Phillies won the first two games of the four game series this week and are trending toward a third straight win. The division race is over and suddenly, they are creeping closer to grabbing the #1 seed in the National League. The Mets have been bad, losers of four straight, heading toward a fifth consecutive loss tonight. However, the broader question is this.

Are the Phillies getting hot at the perfect time?

The Phillies are celebrating their latest good stretch of baseball. Credit: Yahoo

This week did not start out so good. The left side of their infield, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, were placed on the injured list. Bohm will be back as soon as ten days have concluded while Turner could miss the rest of the regular season. A first round bye would be welcome for the club. Since August 1st, Philadelphia is 24-13 and has won six of eight games to begin September. Bryson Stott has awaken from a season long slump, hitting .333 over his last seven games. Same for Brandon Marsh, who is at .344 over his last 30 contests. Ranger Suarez struck out a career high 12 batters on Tuesday. Jhoan Duran and David Robertson have lifted the entire bullpen. This stretch has come with some significant adversity. Both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are hitting under.200 over the last month. Ace Zack Wheeler last pitched August 15 and is done for the year. Bohm and Turner are now going to miss a minimum of ten games. 11 games over .500 with so many issues? It sounds like a squad that is peaking.

Just wait until Harper and Schwarber resume hitting. The injured infielders get a little bit of a break before the hardest part of the season. After a tough trip to Los Angeles and Arizona, the Phillies close out the year at home vs. the Marlins and Twins. Everything is pointing to the continuing torrid stretch exhibited by the team. The next question is, will it carry the Phillies to a Word Series championship?

Who Needs Monday Night Football When You Have Mets-Phillies

I get it. The world was starving for the NFL season to begin and tonight represents the final game of Week 1. The Minnesota Vikings at the Chicago Bears is a tasty prime time matchup, a good way to close the schedule. How will Ben Johnson fare in his first game as head coach? J.J. McCarthy makes his NFL debut after being injured all of last year. So many storylines, so much intrigue….

Who cares? The Mets start a four game series against the Phillies tonight at Citizens Bank Park.

Big series this week between these two teams. Credit: northjersey.com

There is angst in the house. Matthew expects the Phillies to win three of the four games, the only Mets’ win coming on Nolan McLean‘s start this evening. Caitlyn got the awful news that both Alec Bohm and Trea Turner have hit the injured list. Personal rivalries aside, this is a big series. Even though the Phillies lead the Mets by seven games in the National League East, a Mets sweep would put them at only three back and owning the tiebreaker. For whatever reason, the blue and orange uniforms bring out the worst in them, much like the Red Sox seem to spook the Yankees this season. Realistically, the Phils will remain in first place through the end of the season. They also have designs on the #2 seed and a first round bye. The Mets are running out of time to get into the first Wild Card spot and play their opening round at Citi Field. The series is getting some love nationally with tonight’s game being broadcast on MLB Network and Thursday’s game televised on Fox.

I am just as happy as the next person that the NFL is back. It is America’s most popular sport. But the calendar still says Summer and the clock is ticking on the regular season. Therefore, nothing is taking a back seat to Phillies-Mets to start the week and Yankees-Red Sox to close the week.

Would the Phillies Be Better Off as the #3 Seed?

Barring an unforeseen collapse, the Philadelphia Phillies will win the National League East. They have the chance to end the race next week with their four games at home vs. the New York Mets. They currently sit as the number two seed in the National League playoff standings, three games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Dodgers having played below average ball as of late, Philadelphia has a first round bye in their sights. However, would the Phils be better off avoiding the week of rest?

Rob Thomson and the Phillies could grab the #2 seed and a bye. Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer

Their own history suggests yes. Since Major League Baseball permanently instituted the Wild Card round in 2022, the Phillies have played in the first round twice and had the bye once. We know the results. They made the World Series in 2022 and the National League Championship Series in 2023. Last year, the team had the #2 seed and lost in four games in the Divisional round to the New York Mets. In 2023, a pair of Wild Card teams, the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, met in the World Series. Each season, at least one team that plays in the first round eventually advances to the League Championship Series. There is something to be said for teams that continue to play as opposed to sitting for a week in between games.

With all that being said, and with all of the information I provided above, I would still want the bye. Last year’s World Series teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, were the top seeds in their respective leagues. Should the Phillies secure a first round bye, I am sure they can draw on lessons from last year’s loss. Anything from a different workout routine during the time off to bullpen usage in the week leading up to the bye will be examined. I can’t imagine Philadelphia getting bounced early two years in a row. They are too talented and are playing good baseball. Caitlyn is the one that needs to be convinced their season won’t end early.

Philadelphia Phillies Are the Bright Light in Our House

The last time I posted, I detailed our most recent trip to Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies lost that day to the Los Angeles Angels. The date was July 20. Since that Sunday, the Phillies are the team that are keeping the baseball end of the house from disintegrating. They are in first place by 3.5 games and are 10-6 since that fateful day. Caitlyn is loving it. It’s a far cry from Ryan and Matthew who are enduring the dual trainwrecks that are the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. We don’t need to detail their play over the last two months. We are living it and we hate it.

Let’s bring back some positivity.

What’s not to like about the Phillies right now? They have a legitimate MVP candidate in Kyle Schwarber, who is a free agent at the end of the season. He leads the National League in both home runs and RBI’s and is enjoying the best season of his career. He became a Phillie in 2022; since his arrival, all the team has done is win. Schwarber will get paid, whether it is Philadelphia or somewhere else. In keeping with today’s theme of brightness, let’s say he re-signs with the Phillies. The team also has a legitimate Cy Young candidate, Cristopher Sanchez (also on my fantasy team). I mean, at what point do we put Sanchez in the class of best pitchers in baseball? Teammate Zack Wheeler is the bigger name but Sanchez has had the better season. That is quite the 1-2 combination in a playoff series. The one glaring hole was in the bullpen which the team addressed by acquiring Jhoan Duran. Now, the hard work of the rotation will be picked up an by an excellent closer and his unique entrance. Old Yankee and Met Harrison Bader also arrived at the trading deadline, providing another useful bat and Gold Glove caliber defense.

Right now, the Phillies have to be considered a World Series contender. Sure, they still have flaws such as overall bullpen depth and spotty offensive games. However, name a team that looks unbeatable. There isn’t one. It’s why the Yankees and Mets still have time to break out of their respective funks. However, no team in the house looks better than the Philadelphia Phillies.

When Will Caitlyn See the Phillies Win In Person?

On July 20, the family ventured to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in the hopes of seeing Caitlyn’s beloved Phillies win a ball game. It marked our third trip as a family to the Bank with this trip the first time we saw them play an American League team, in this case the Los Angeles Angels. Hopes were high that the Phillies would win for the first time in Caitlyn’s presence. Both teams won one game each in the series, making Sunday’s contest the rubber matchup. Could Philadelphia send us back home with smiles on our faces?

In a word, no.

A beautiful stadium, an ugly game. Credit: My picture

The Angels romped on that sunny, hot Sunday by a score of 8-2. It felt more like 15-2 as Los Angeles had multiple base runners seemingly every inning. We should have known something was up when the game was delayed for a half hour by rain. Luckily for us, a nice couple allowed us to use their towel to wipe down our seats. It quickly went downhill from there. Zach Neto belted the first pitch of the game from Ranger Suarez to the deepest part of the park only to have Brandon Marsh make a great catch. At that point, I knew it was trouble. Suarez simply didn’t have it. Los Angeles did not score in the first inning despite heavy traffic. They effectively ended the game in the following inning by scoring five runs. The only highlights from the Phillies on this day were two great catches from Marsh and a solo home run by Otto Kemp. Not even the antics of the Phillie Phantic could save us. At least I got to see Mike Trout bat six times. Max Kepler and Jordan Romano both received boos, though Romano pitched a scoreless eighth inning. The bright sun and lack of sunscreen gave all of us different colors. And of course, the cheesesteak was golden.

The Phillies are now 0-5 when Caitlyn is in attendance. That comprises three games at the Bank and two games at Citi Field. 2026 has to be different, no? She deserves better than to see her favorite team lose repeatedly with her in attendance. What would make her feel better? A Phillies World Series Championship in 2025.

MLB Trading Deadline: We Are Lucky

With the Trading Deadline almost over, I decided to have the “talk” with the three kids. Namely, I had to remind them that they are lucky that each of their teams spend most trading deadlines as buyers as opposed to sellers. This indicates that the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are in it to win a World Series year after year. This, as opposed to teams I highlighted earlier in the week that, despite having good, controllable players, are willing to move them, punting on this season and potentially next season.

Ryan McMahon, now a Yankee. Credit: Sports Illustrated

For most of this decade, all three of our teams have decided to make moves to try and enhance their playoff chances. The one exception was the Mets in 2023 when they dealt David Robertson, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander among others at the deadline during a lost season. It is an exciting time for all of us, as we each discuss what our teams need and what players we would be willing to give up. We scour mlbtraderumors.com for the latest news and potential deals. I get asked sometimes how certain deals sound as they are pitched to me. Most of the time, they are lopsided in favor of their teams. In Matthew’s opinion, what the Mets gave up for Tyler Rogers earlier this week was fair, even though Drew Gilbert was included. He was the outfielder that came to New York for Verlander two years ago.

In addition to Rogers, the Mets added fellow relievers Gregory Soto and Ryan Helsley. The Yankees have acquired Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater. The Phillies got on the board by adding Jhoan Duran. See, all three teams are active. Whether they contribute to a World Series Championship or not remains to be seen. At least all their teams are giving them reasons to be excited.