Phillies can secure NL playoff berth in Sunday's finale against Rays
The short version
- A win over Tampa Bay on Sept. 27 clinches an NL playoff berth for Philadelphia.
- The Phillies (87-74) lead Arizona (86-75) by one game for the third NL wild card.
- Zack Wheeler (13-5, 3.06 ERA) is scheduled against Nick Martinez (15-5, 2.94 ERA).
- Arizona holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Philadelphia.
- A playoff berth would mean a three-game series at Atlanta starting Sept. 29.
Philadelphia hosts Tampa Bay on the final day needing a win, or an Arizona loss, to reach the National League playoffs.
The Philadelphia Phillies arrive at the final day of the regular season with their October plans still unresolved. The closing game of the schedule brings the Tampa Bay Rays to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Sunday, Sept. 27. A victory over the Rays would hand the Phillies a National League playoff berth outright, while anything less would leave the club waiting on outside help.
The math is straightforward. Win, and Philadelphia qualifies no matter what happens anywhere else. Lose, and the season continues only if the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, who close their own schedule against San Diego on Sunday. One hazard sits in the standings: Arizona owns the tiebreaker over Philadelphia, so a tie between the two clubs would resolve in the Diamondbacks' favor rather than the Phillies'.
The pitching matchup pits a pair of right-handers against one another. Philadelphia gives the ball to Zack Wheeler, who enters the finale at 13-5 with a 3.06 ERA. Tampa Bay counters with Nick Martinez, who arrives carrying a 15-5 record and a 2.94 ERA of his own.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park, which is hosting the Phillies' final home game of the year. NBCSP will carry the television broadcast. Radio coverage airs on 94WIP as well as WDEL, which broadcasts on 101.7 FM and 1150 AM.
Numerous streaming routes exist for viewers without cable. Those inside the Philadelphia television market can stream the NBCSP broadcast live at nbcsportsphiladelphia.com or through the NBCSP app. The channel is also part of FuboTV, Hulu, Peacock and YouTube TV. PHILLIES.TV will carry the game for subscribers with streaming packages, and the radio call is available through MLB Audio.
The National League wild-card standings lay out the stakes in plain terms. Philadelphia sits in the third wild-card spot at 87-74, one game clear of Arizona at 86-75. That slim margin leaves the Phillies with a magic number of one to clinch a playoff berth.
Saturday's results guaranteed the race would be settled on the season's final day. Tampa Bay routed Philadelphia 12-1 in the head-to-head meeting, while San Diego downed Arizona 10-7 in the other game with direct bearing on the wild-card race, keeping the gap between the Phillies and Diamondbacks at a single game.
A berth would trigger a quick pivot to the postseason. Philadelphia's assignment would be a three-game wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves, opening Sept. 29 in Atlanta, just two days after the regular season concludes. Tickets for Sunday's finale remain on sale through the club's website.
Up next on the Global Sportscast schedule: Tampa Bay travels to Philadelphia on Sunday, September 27. First pitch at Citizens Bank Park is set for 3:05 PM EDT, and the game airs on MLB.TV, Rays.TV and NBC Sports Phil.
