Phillies Still Unable to Clinch Playoff Berth, Magic Number Remains Unchanged

The Philadelphia Phillies have had their magic number remain the same for far too long.

Sep 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a single during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering Friday night, the Philadelphia Phillies were a team that had been right on the doorstep of clinching a playoff spot. However, against a Tampa Bay Rays team without a lot to play for, they once again lost. 

On Friday, the Phillies once again had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a little bit of help. However, they were unable to secure a win, and the San Diego Padres couldn’t help them out. 

With Cristopher Sanchez on the mound, this was a disappointing game for the Phillies to lose and one that they really needed to get. The southpaw did his part to get the team the win, going seven innings and allowing just two runs. However, Philadelphia was shut out by Freddy Peralta and the bullpen of Tampa Bay. 

The offensive struggles have been a major issue, and the team not being able to score a run in a game with the magnitude of Friday is shocking to see. Now, the Phillies still might be in the driver's seat, but things are not looking overly optimistic. 

Magic Number Still at Two

Sep 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For what feels like quite some time now, the Phillies have been right on the doorstep of being able to clinch a playoff spot, but have been unable to do so. The Arizona Diamondbacks have started to heat up and play a bit better, and Philadelphia has not. 

Arizona has now won six straight games and will be entering Saturday trailing the Phillies by just one game. On the other hand, Philadelphia has lost three straight games and are 4-6 in their last 10. 

Now, the Phillies have to be extremely concerned with how things have gone. There is some very bad weather in the Northeast, and whether or not Philadelphia will be able to get in their games is yet to be determined. 

Even though things look bad, they still just need one win and a loss by the Diamondbacks to get in. On Saturday, it is set to be a bullpen game once again, and then it might have to be Zack Wheeler on Sunday. 

Using Wheeler on the final day of the season is far from ideal, but the Phillies have put themselves in a bad situation with their inability to win. With Saturday being a bullpen game in all likelihood, Philadelphia very well could be in trouble based on how poorly their offense has been.