There’s something about the Arizona Diamondbacks. A team that spent the summer trading away parts, burying players on the injured list, and listening to months of “fire the manager” chants, yet somehow — somehow — they’re still here. Still breathing. Still hanging around like that fruit fly you can’t seem to swat.
And of course, it was the Phillies who had to watch Arizona’s latest trick up close on Sunday. The Diamondbacks, who now own the third-best record in the National League since the start of August, rolled through the Phils, 9–2, in Phoenix. It was their sixth win in eight games. It pushed them within a game of the Reds and Mets for the last Wild Card spot. And it was another reminder that if October brings the Phillies back to the desert, the Diamondbacks won’t be going quietly.
For the Phillies, though? Perspective matters. Their playoff seat is already reserved. Their champagne goggles are already packed. And after Sunday’s loss snapped a six-series win streak, the magic number to clinch the all-important No. 2 seed is down to two — thanks to the Dodgers tripping over the Giants. Two more Phillies wins (or two more Dodgers losses), and the Phils can lock up that coveted bye as early as Tuesday.
Catching Milwaukee for the top seed? Forget it. The Brewers’ magic number is three. But second place still comes with the gift of five days off — the kind of breather this veteran roster desperately wants. Ranger Suárez, so good the last five weeks, picked the wrong day for his worst start in a month. The infield defense joined him in the ditch. Alec Bohm, at least, stayed hot, collecting four hits for the ninth time in his career. And in the silver-linings department: nobody got hurt.
Which, let’s be honest, is all that matters now. The Phillies flew home Sunday night and won’t board another plane until Oct. 7. Their October road could easily lead right back here to Chase Field, depending on how that logjam at the bottom of the Wild Card sorts itself out.
And speaking of logjams: the Mets fell out of a playoff spot Sunday on a tiebreaker after dropping two of three to the Nationals. So if the postseason began today, Philadelphia would open the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park against the winner of Dodgers-Reds.
Now, the bye is the part that makes talk-radio lines ring. Since the league expanded to six playoff teams a side in 2022, clubs with the bye are just 6–6 in the Division Series. The Braves, remember, moaned about the layoff the last two years — and the Phillies sent them home both times. The Astros (2022) and Dodgers (2024) rode the bye all the way to a World Series title. But the Phils also became the only team to lose out of the bye group a year ago. So does it help? Does it hurt? Who knows.
What they know inside that clubhouse is this: rest matters. Getting Trea Turner’s hamstring back in working order matters. Getting Edmundo Sosa off the IL on Tuesday matters. Setting up a rotation of Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola matters. And if Kyle Schwarber keeps threatening Ryan Howard’s single-season home run record (58) while Turner keeps chasing a batting title, that’s just bonus theater for the final week.
So yeah, Sunday’s loss looked ugly on the scoreboard. But when you’re six games from the finish line, the real story isn’t what happened in Phoenix. The real story is what happens once the lights come on at Citizens Bank Park in October.
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