Who do the Phillies play next? An NLDS matchup with Rhys Hoskins or the Mets on deck.
Another postseason date with the Atlanta Braves will have to wait at least another round. Still, the Philadelphia Phillies' National League Division Series matchup will not be without drama.
The Phillies either have a reunion with a beloved ex or rendezvous with another heated rival.
Red October is officially here. Philadelphia has to wait a few more days to find out which club it'll see across the table, but it knows it will either be Rhys Hoskins and the Milwaukee Brewers or the New York Mets.
Game 1 will be Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. The start time has yet to be announced.
As the Wild Card Series gets underway Tuesday, let's examine how the Phillies fared against the Brewers and Mets this season.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Phillies and Brewers have postseason history. Philadelphia fans remember it fondly.
Philadelphia and Milwaukee met in the NLDS in 2008. The Phils blitzed the Brewers, winning the series 3-1. In Game 2, Phillies starter Brett Myers worked a second-inning walk, and two batters later, Shane Victorino took C.C. Sabathia deep for a grand slam.
Phillies fans know how the 2008 postseason ended — a World Series trophy, a famous phrase from Chase Utley, and a parade down Broad Street.
Fast forward to 2024. The Phillies won the season series against the Brewers 4-2 and outscored Milwaukee 15-11, but home field was a factor in both series.
In June, the Phils swept the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park in Hoskins' first series back in Philly since leaving in free agency. Hoskins was 2 for 10 with a homer and a .856 OPS in the three-game set in June.
The clubs met again in mid-September, with the Brewers winning the Milwaukee 2-1 series. Hoskins again did damage against his former team, going 4 for 10 with another homer and a 1.389 OPS.
Hoskins finished the regular season with two homers, a .333 average, and a 1.122 OPS in six games against the Phillies.
The Phillies have home-field advantage in the NLDS, meaning that if there is a Game 5, it will be in Philadelphia.
Here are some notes about what Phillies starting pitchers have done against the Brewers in 2024.
- Zack Wheeler went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14 innings against Milwaukee this season.
- Aaron Nola also faced the Brewers twice, going 1-0 with two gems. He allowed one run and striking out 14 in 14 innings.
- Cristopher Sanchez faced Milwaukee once this season, allowing one run across six innings in a 2-1 Phillies win on June 4.
The Phils have not announced their starting pitcher plans for the NLDS, but Wheeler will start Game 1, followed by either Nola or Sanchez. The Game 2 decision is one to watch. Sanchez has pitched significantly better at home this season.
New York Mets
Baseball has witnessed a rarity this year: The Phillies and Mets simultaneously finished the regular season with winning records. It's only the 10th time since the Mets became an MLB team in 1962 that both clubs finished with a record above .500. Seven of those times have come since 2001. So it's unsurprising that these two teams have never faced each other in the postseason.
That could change if the Mets beat Milwaukee in the Wild Card Series, setting up an NLDS matchup between Philadelphia and New York. Weird things tend to happen during Phillies-Mets games, too.
The Phillies won the season series against the Mets 7-6, outscored New York 69-59, and clinched their postseason berth with a win in New York on Sept. 20.
The Phillies-Mets rivalry headed to London, with the teams splitting the two-game set. For the Mets, it was a turning point.
New York was 27-35 when it headed to London. Afterward, the Mets went on a heater, finishing the season 61-37 and punching their ticket Monday in Atlanta. The Phillies went 50-47 after the London Series.
