Phillies Ready for Rematch With Rival Braves in NLDS
On June 2, it didn’t appear as if the Philadelphia Phillies would be popping champagne and dancing in the clubhouse.
The Phillies were 25-32 and struggling in virtually every area.
The postseason had to seem like eons away.
But Philadelphia rallied to finish 65-40, accumulate 90 victories and sweep the Miami Marlins in the National League Wild Card round.
Next up, the mighty Atlanta Braves.
During the stretch where the Phillies went 65-40, the Braves racked up a 71-34 mark.
Philadelphia will now face Atlanta in the National League Division Series. It’s a rematch that the Phillies won last season on their way to the World Series.
The Braves are improved. So are the Phillies.
In this five-game series, anything can happen. There doesn’t look to be a clear-cut advantage.
It will come down to execution.
“The one thing the Braves did is they played consistent baseball all year long,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I mean, from day one, they really didn't go into any large losing streak that I know of, and we struggled getting out of the gate, so it's something we've got to work on in Spring Training.
“But I think we're playing very good baseball right now and I think it's going to be a really good series.”
While Atlanta has been patiently waiting, Philadelphia made quick work of the Marlins. Bryson Stott provided the big shot with a grand slam in the Phillies’ 7-1 win on Wednesday.
Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola pitched like aces.
This matchup just might be the most competitive of the four remaining series. The Braves won 104 games, 14 more than the Phillies.
But Philadelphia is clicking at the right time.
The team that was once 25-32 is now capable of beating anyone at any time.
“We're a good team too. You see it time and time again this whole season. We never give up,” Nola said. “We've got a lot of veteran guys that have experience postseason obviously which is a big factor, and Atlanta is a good team. We're also very familiar with them and vice versa. But we've got to go take care of business Game 1 when we go there. They're going to be ready to play, obviously, in front of their home crowd. It's obviously not going to be a cake walk.”
Get your popcorn ready and don’t be surprised to see this series last five games.
It’s a tossup.
