PHILADELPHIA — A year ago, the Phillies got little more than an exhale between flights on the barnstorming road trip that led them to the postseason and ultimately the World Series.
This year, with a week of post-clinch premeditation, is much different. Rob Thomson’s task is to make that extra time work for the Phillies the best way he can.
With four games to end the season after clinching the first Wild Card spot, the Phillies had little to play for Thursday beyond positioning themselves for a best-of-3 Wild Card series starting next Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. And while their opponent is culled from a crowd of three possibilities, the Phillies are working to rest and ready as best possible.
“You’re trying to get rest, you’re trying to keep people sharp, you’re trying to make sure the bullpen is ready to go on Tuesday,” Thomson said Thursday before the second of five inconsequential games, a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh. “So there’s a lot of things that go into this where, sometimes it’s better to go down to the last couple of days where you don’t know because you’re just playing baseball.”
For the most part, Thomson’s managerial machinations focus on the pitching staff. Zack Wheeler made his final regular season start, which lines him up for Game 1 of the Wild Card series. Aaron Nola, who pitched Tuesday’s clincher, will skip his regular day Sunday and be ready for Game 2 next Wednesday. Ranger Suarez, who tossed in Wednesday’s post-bacchanalia comeback win over the Pirates, is also done for the regular season, with a possible bullpen role or Game 3 start ahead.
Wheeler’s start was on a pitch count of 75. He ended up throwing 67 in four innings. Michael Lorenzen tossed two innings of relief.
“I don’t know if there’s anything necessarily different preparing wise,” Wheeler said. “Games mattered a little bit more – they still matter – but (last year) they mattered up until the last game, even. But we’re still trying to win ballgames and win as many as possible.”
That leaves Taijuan Walker to start the opener against the Mets Friday. Cristopher Sanchez will get an inning or two in relief, partially to eat innings and partially to practice coming out of the bullpen for a possible postseason role.
“I’m really confident he’s going to be able to throw the ball over the plate,” Thomson said of Sanchez, who’s been a revelation as a starter. “I’m confident that the moment, the situation, isn’t going to get the most of him.”
It leaves the Phillies looking at “TBD” in the starter column for Saturday and Sunday at Citi Field, with far more names ruled out than are ready to be penciled in.
Thomson will want to be cautious with bullpen usage, since the Phillies could end up playing three straight days in the middle of next week. He probably will shy away from his high-end relievers Sunday, lest they face three times in four days, with Game 1 Tuesday and Game 2 Wednesday. Someone like Lorenzen, and certainly Dylan Covey, will be valuable to bridge through the weekend.
Roles also have to be determined. Thomson showed last year that he has no qualms about getting valuable outs from Suarez just about anywhere (and almost every day). That may be as a Game 3 starter or earlier if there’s a chance to keep it from getting to a third game.
Sanchez is in that category, too. And with Lorenzen having been much better out of the bullpen last time, notching a save Sunday against Atlanta, Thomson is less worried about his transition to relief. Lorenzen has also relieved before this season.
“Last outing was really good,” Thomson said. “He got back to his changeup, he got back to throwing strikes. It didn’t look like he was forcing anything and trying to create velocity. The delivery was a lot better; consequently you throw a lot more strikes.”
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NOTES >> The prescription for the batting order is more straightforward: “mostly common sense,” Thomson said. So Kyle Schwarber, who led off Thursday with a home run, not in the outfield much if at all, and J.T. Realmuto being spelled more than normal by Garrett Stubbs. Bryson Stott got a day off Thursday. “I just want to make sure you aren’t taxing guys too much,” Thomson said. “You can see it in their body language sometimes.” … The breathless Bryce Harper updates of summer have become breathless Rhys Hoskins updates in fall. The latest: He looked good taking BP and is slated to see live pitching next week in Clearwater. Every day that passes without a setback increases Thomson’s optimism that Hoskins could play this year. “It looks like there’s good effort,” Thomson said. “He’s not forcing anything.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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