The Philadelphia Phillies have been waiting for the postseason since they were eliminated in the NLCS last year.
Every player in the clubhouse understands what’s at stake, and the Phillies have no excuse not to get the job done.
Winning is never easy, but Philadelphia has more than enough to take home the World Series. If they don’t, it’d be a great disappointment.
Everything looks set regarding their postseason roster, but the Phillies might have a “dilemma” to think about.
With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola expected to get the ball in Games 1 and 2, Philadelphia is in a better position than any team in Major League Baseball to take care of business.
When Wheeler and Nola are on the mound, it’s simple: the Phillies have to win.
Others, including Cristopher Sanchez, will need to perform at a high level.
The left-hander has been incredible, throwing better than anyone could’ve asked for.
However, his road numbers do bring some worries about how he might pitch in October.
That’s why Bob Nightengale of USA Today believes Philadelphia will have a decision to make on when he pitches.
“The Philadelphia Phillies will have an interesting dilemma in the postseason. Do they start Cristopher Sanchez in Game 2 to ensure that the Phillies are home, or Game 3 on the road? In 16 home starts, Sanchez is yielding a 2.05 ERA with a 0.959 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 105⅓ innings. In 14 starts on the road, he has a 5.02 ERA and a 1.661 WHIP, with 54 strikeouts in 71 ⅔ innings.”
Now, while Nightengale brings up valid points, the first two games of a series are arguably bigger than the others.
With both games at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have to win both to feel confident about Games 3 and 4 on the road.
Wheeler and Nola give them the best chance to win those games.
Perhaps they’d do as such on the road, but it’s not easy winning playoff games away from home.
The likeliest outcome seems to be having Sanchez throw in the No. 3 or 4 spot in the rotation, which would mean he’d pitch on the road.
He owns a 3.25 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and has struck out 149 hitters in 177.0 innings pitched.
The 27-year-old has played in the Big Leagues throughout four different campaigns. However, he’s appeared in just one game during the postseason in that span.
He allowed one earned run in 2 1/3 innings pitched in his lone start.
Sanchez has a lot riding on him, and no matter where and when he starts, he needs to be ready to go.
