CT’s Top 3: Takeaways From The Philadelphia Phillies’ Weekend

Over the weekend, the Philadelphia Phillies split the first two games of their NLDS matchup with the New York Mets over two dramatic games that highlighted the ebbs and flows, not just of the stressful beer pours, but of playoff baseball.

With the series even at 1 game a piece, and the series now set to head to New York for 2 huge games at Citi Field, what are the biggest takeaways from this past weekend's action? Today on Kincade And Salciunas, we discussed multiple, including our thoughts on Cristopher Sanchez's performance yesterday and Rob Thomson's decision-making:

But, what are the biggest 3 takeaways? And how do they shape the way we should watch the rest of the series going forward? Let's get into it.

Yes, baseball is still a game that requires 27 outs to win, but great starting pitching can get you close to that on most nights, and that's what the Phillies got in games 1 and 2. Zack Wheeler was near-unhittable on Saturday over 7 innings of work, and Cristopher Sanchez, despite his 2 earned runs, was impressive in his first true postseason start.

Now, the rest of the pitching staff (we'll talk about the bullpen in a second) needs to step up, but if you get this type of starting pitching the rest of the series, the Phillies are going to be a very tough out for anyone, including the Mets. In October, starting pitching is magnified, and the Phillies should have faith that there's is as good as any team in the game's.

The Phillies bullpen was an almost certain strength 3 days ago, and yet, over the Saturday and Sunday NLDS games 1 and 2, have turned into a surprising concern. The Phillies' two all-stars, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, have an 81.00 and 36.00 ERA respectively. Jose Ruiz is at 9.00, and Orion Kerkering is at 5.40.

Outside of Carlos Estevez, it has been a nightmare start to October for one of the strongest parts of this roster, and it has led to every spot feeling uneasy for the Phils late in games. The positive spin? There's no way they can keep being THIS bad, right? But there are no guarantees in postseason baseball. The Phillies' bullpen certainly feels far from one right now.

When Dylan Thomas wrote that famous poem back in 1947, I can almost guarantee you he did not once think about the sport of baseball. But damn do the Mets sure embody the sentiment of that work.

This team fights until the bitter end, and that's what you should expect from any team in October. Yet, there are some teams that just seem to never be out of it, and the 2024 Mets certainly seem like one of those teams. Now, it's fair to question how long they can keep hitting dramatic home runs to seemingly answer every near-death blow, but it definitely feels like if you're going to end the Mets season, you're going to have to survive a lot more counterpunches from the guys from Queens.

After the Philadelphia Phillies broke a long playoff drought with a wild card berth in the MLB Playoffs in 2022, the city suddenly remembered the euphoria of postseason baseball at Citizens Bank Park.

An unexpected run from the sixth seed in the National League reignited Red October like nobody could've expected after 11 years of disappointment.

The Phillies swept the St. Louis Cardinals in "Baseball Heaven" to get things started. They stunned the heavily favored Atlanta Braves and convinced an entire fan base to believe.

The incredible momentum continued through a dramatic series win against the San Diego Padres to clinch the National League pennant.

Although they couldn't finish off the Houston Astros in the World Series, the city of Philadelphia will always remember the 2022 Phillies for a miracle October ride that coincided with success for the Eagles, Union, Flyers, and 76ers during the best month in Philadelphia sports history.

Relive the whirlwind of an unforgettable October with rally towels waving in the autumn air, the tension of living and dying with every pitch, and one of the best runs in Phillies franchise history.

October 7, 2022
National League Wild Card Series Game 1 at Busch Stadium
Phillies 6, St. Louis Cardinals 3

October 14-15, 2022
National League Division Series, Games 3-4 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 9, Atlanta Braves 1; Phillies 8, Atlanta Braves 3

October 18, 2022
National League Championship Series Game 1 at Petco Park
Phillies 2, San Diego Padres 0

October 23, 2022
National League Championship Series Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 4, San Diego Padres 3

October 28, 2022
World Series Game 1 at Minute Maid Park
Phillies 6, Houston Astros 5

November 1, 2022
World Series Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park
Phillies 7, Houston Astros 0