Phillies have chance to achieve first major goal of 2024 in Milwaukee

In Milwaukee, Phillies can achieve their first significant goal of 2024 initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Milwaukee Brewers? Sounds vaguely acquainted. Aren’t they the group with a mascot who shimmies down a twisting slide after house runs? AKA the Brew Crew? Used to be the Seattle Pilots? Also used to be in the American League? Plays “The Beer Barrel Polka” through the seventh inning stretch? Bratwurst? Robin Yount? Any of that ring a bell?

When it comes to Phillies rivalries, in different phrases, the Brewers barely transfer the needle. They had been a velocity bump on the way in which to successful the 2008 World Series. They’re the group that signed Rhys Hoskins as a free agent final winter. That’s about it.

Temporarily, at the least, that’s about to change. For the subsequent three nights at American Family Field, it’s Milwaukee standing immediately between the Phils and attaining the first vital group goal they'd after they first gathered in Clearwater in February: to win the division and keep away from taking part in in the wild-card spherical.

Even although the Phillies have had success taking part in the additional sequence, making it to the World Series in 2022 and coming inside one win of going again final yr, supervisor Rob Thomson has made it clear that getting 5 days off after the common season ends September 29 in Washington is a high precedence.

Winning two of three in the just-completed sequence towards the Mets mattered as a result of the Phillies try to amass sufficient wins to end with baseball’s finest document, which earns home-field benefit all through the postseason.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto mentioned it was like a playoff environment. “These are the types of games you’re going to play in the postseason. These are the type of the opponents we’re going to be playing,” he mentioned. “It’s no secret we love playing here at The Bank and feel like we have the best homefield advantage in baseball. The one-seed is very important to us and we’re going to play as well as we can until we get it.”

The upcoming sequence in the Badger State, nevertheless, presents a extra instant alternative and extra straight-line impression to decide how the groups are seeded when the common season concludes in two weeks.

Barring a cataclysm, the Phillies will win the National League East, the Brewers the Central and the Dodgers the West. The group with the third-best document will have to compete in the wild card spherical to advance.

The Phillies presently maintain a four-game edge over Milwaukee. So right here’s what’s at stake:

• Since they swept Milwaukee at The Bank the first week in June, the Phillies want only one win to clinch the tie-breaker.

• If the Phillies sweep, they’d be 8 up with 10 video games left to play. Any mixture thereafter of Phillies wins and Brewers losses totaling 3 ensures a first-round bye.

• If the Phillies win two of three, that Magic Number is 5.

• If the Phillies lose two of three, it’s 7.

• If the Phillies get swept, it’s 9. And the tiebreaker would revert to finest document throughout the division. Right now, Milwaukee is 30-19 towards the NLC with simply three video games (at Pittsburgh) remaining. The Phillies are 26-18 with 4 at New York and the ultimate weekend at Washington left.

Even although the Phillies took care of the Brewers greater than three months in the past, it’s value noting that every of these video games was determined by one or two runs, one in further innings. Also, the venue issues. The Phillies are 52-25 (.675) at Citizens Bank Park this yr and 38-34 (.528) all over the place else.

Milwaukee has a greater document (50-37) and run differential (+76) since leaving Citizens Bank Park than the Phillies (46-40, +15). And there are two notable causes for that.

Rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio was hitting .211 with a .592 OPS via that sequence, however has been raking ever since. Going into Sunday, in his subsequent 81 video games, he hit .308/.909. Shortstop Willy Adames left Philadelphia with 9 homers in 63 video games after which hit 23 in his subsequent 86 video games.

The pitching matchups additionally provide some behind-the-numbers intrigue. Ranger Suarez (12-6, 3.05) will face Aaron Civale (6-8, 4.57) Monday. That appears good on paper, however Suarez has one thing to show. His earned run common is 6.02 in his final eight begins.

In Game 2 will probably be Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.60) vs. Frankie Montas (7-10, 4.49) adopted by Aaron Nola (12-8, 3.62) vs. Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.75). Nola, too, can be wanting to proper himself. He’s failed to full 5 innings in every of his final two begins whereas giving up a complete of 11 earned runs.

All video games begin at 7:40 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Philadelphia.