Aug 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) in the dugout against the Kansas City Royals prior to a game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Phillies fought all season to earn a bye week in the wild card round of the MLB postseason. Securing that prize means they won't be subject to the whims of the baseball gods in a best-of-three playoff series. But it also means they'll need to find ways to stay sharp before the NLDS.
Rob Thomson has a plan.
The Phillies will reportedly play an intrasquad game on Wednesday. "We're gonna have an umpire, full scoreboard, walk-up music, the whole deal," said Thomson on Friday. "I would think [the game will go] six, seven, eight innings." Spencer Turnbull is among the pitchers expected to throw.
The team will also hold mandatory workouts on Tuesday and Friday, and an optional workout on Thursday.
It's all an effort to avoid the fate that befell the Dodgers, Braves, and Orioles in 2023. Each of those teams was a 100+ win juggernaut, and each was defeated in the LDS by a lower-seeded opponent. In fact, the Dodgers and Braves were sent home from the LDS round in two consecutive years. (The Braves, of course, fell victim to the Phillies both times.)
It's a small sample size, but higher-seeded teams are 3-5 in the LDS round since MLB implemented the current postseason format. The Houston Astros are responsible for two of the three victories, so the Phils examined how they prepared.
"[The Astros prep] is very similar to what we're gonna be doing and that's probably what I would do normally," Thomson said. "But they seem to have had the most success. I think Atlanta did the same thing last year. You never know, but I think we're doing the right thing."
Citizens Bank Park will host the first two games of the Phillies' NLDS next Saturday and Sunday.
