The Philadelphia Phillies let a key opportunity to clinch a National League Wild Card spot slip away Friday night, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays in their series opener. With just two games remaining in the regular season, manager Don Mattingly delivered a blunt message to his club following the disappointing loss.
“Whatever happened tonight, we aren’t getting back. So we have to be ready to play tomorrow. That’s all there is to it,” Mattingly told reporters after the series opener against the Rays.
The loss kept the door open for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who kept their playoff hopes alive with an 11-4 victory over the San Diego Padres. Because Arizona holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Diamondbacks would leapfrog Philadelphia in the standings with a win Saturday paired with another Phillies loss.
Already dealing with a concerning injury update on Luis Arraez, the Phillies must regroup quickly for Game 2 against the Rays to maintain control of their postseason destiny, and hope the Padres can hand Arizona a setback.
Manager Don Mattingly #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the dugout.
Mattingly weighs in on Phillies’ late-season slump
Late September in Major League Baseball leaves no room for error, and after dropping three straight games, Philadelphia finds itself under heavy pressure. Yet when asked about the team’s recent skid, Mattingly remained defiant about where his squad stands.
“I guess I’d rather be in our spot than theirs because we can still control our own destiny,” Mattingly said, emphasizing that Philadelphia still holds the advantage entering the final two days.
How the Phillies can clinch a Wild Card spot today
To punch their ticket to the Wild Card round on Saturday, the Phillies must defeat the Rays and pair that victory with a Diamondbacks loss to the Padres. A Diamondbacks win, however, pushes the race to Sunday’s regular-season finale. To avoid a high-anxiety Game 162, Mattingly’s squad will need to handle business Saturday rather than leave their playoff fate to the last possible moment.
Key takeaways
- The Philadelphia Phillies dropped their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Don Mattingly told reporters his squad still controls its own playoff destiny.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Diego Padres 11-4 to stay alive.
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