From PhillyVoice · · 4m
Phillies stumble toward October with playoff hopes fading
Philadelphia's bullpen collapse and recent losing streak threaten their postseason seeding as they face two elite teams to close the regular season.
In brief
Philadelphia's bullpen collapse and recent losing streak threaten their postseason seeding as they face two elite teams to close the regular season. The Phillies have squandered opportunities against weak teams and now risk falling to a worse playoff seed, with their bullpen in crisis and only six games left to…
Phillies split with Mets, avoid total collapse
Philadelphia went 2-2 against the non-contending Mets this weekend, avoiding disaster but failing to gain ground in the Wild Card race with six games left.
Missed opportunities against weak teams
The Phillies went 4-6 over the last 10 games against the Nationals and Mets, two non-playoff teams. They needed to go above .500 but fell short, losing ground to the Cubs.
Seeding crisis as Padres surge
The streaking Padres went 9-1 in their last 10 games and could overtake Philadelphia for a better seed. The Phillies could finish anywhere from fourth to sixth seed depending on the final week.
Dramatic reversal since September 2nd
The Phillies went 17-4 in their first 21 games but have gone 7-10 since September 2nd, falling into losing habits at the worst possible time before the playoffs.
Three runs not enough for wins
The Phillies scored exactly three runs in five straight games starting Tuesday, winning only two of them. They finally broke the streak with seven runs in Sunday's 7-2 victory.
Crawford's triple sparks offense
Justin Crawford hit a three-run triple on Sunday that broke open the game and helped the Phillies secure their second shutout win of the series.
Kerkering demoted after bullpen meltdown
Orion Kerkering posted a 10.80 ERA since July 31st and allowed seven runs in two games against the Mets. The Phillies demoted him and replaced him with Max Lazar on Sunday.
Bullpen in crisis mode
Besides closer Jhoan Duran with a 1.96 ERA, the Phillies bullpen is struggling badly. Seven relievers have ERAs ranging from 3.36 to 8.71, creating a major playoff liability.
Urquidy debuts with scoreless innings
José Urquidy, signed off the street from the Pirates and White Sox, threw 4.2 scoreless innings in his Phillies debut Friday despite the team losing 6-3.
Aaron Nola earns his paycheck
Nola threw seven scoreless innings Friday for his 10th straight start allowing three or fewer runs over at least five innings, earning roughly $767,000 per appearance.
Nola should start in postseason
Aaron Nola's consistency and dominance make him a lock to start for the Phillies in the playoffs, providing stability to a rotation dealing with injuries.
Sánchez steadies ship in finale
Cristopher Sánchez pitched into the seventh inning Sunday with six strikeouts and two runs allowed, providing the stability the Phillies desperately needed.
Arráez bounces back with clutch hits
Luis Arráez went 0-for-6 in the first two games but drove in two runs Sunday and played solid defense at second base, showing the consistency the Phillies need in October.
Marsh's stunning fall from grace
Brandon Marsh went from All-Star in July with a .301 average to hitting .197 since then, with an OPS of .474 entering Sunday. He went 2-for-11 against the Mets with three strikeouts.
Brutal schedule closes regular season
The Phillies face the Brewers (97 wins) for three games starting Tuesday, then the Rays (94 wins) to finish the season. Both teams have playoff implications and won't rest starters.
Home field advantage on the line
The Brewers are fighting for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Rays may have the one seed locked up. Either way, Philadelphia faces two elite teams in their final six games.
The essence
The Phillies have squandered opportunities against weak teams and now risk falling to a worse playoff seed, with their bullpen in crisis and only six games left to salvage their season.
