MIAMI – Scoreboard watching sure ain’t what it used to be. Remember what it was like at Citizens Bank Park on the last day of the 2007 when a Phillies win and a Mets loss would send the home team to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years? How New York, starting a half hour earlier, gave up seven runs in the top of the first? How the sellout crowd in South Philly roared its approval as the Phils moved closer and closer to the postseason before the first pitch of their game was even thrown?
It’s different now, what with multiple wild cards and homefield in the World Series decided by the better regular season record and all that.
So when the Phillies took the field Thursday night at LoanDepot Park to begin a four-game series against the Marlins, several of the big blue numbers on the out-of-town board in left-center will demand their attention this weekend.
After beating the Fish, 5-2, they’ve won five in a row and 10 out of 12.
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They have an 8-game lead over the Braves, (who lost to Colorado and will next host Toronto) but the Mets (home against Cincinnati), are nipping at their heels. That could impact which NL East team lurks as a possible future playoff opponent. More significantly, they are tied with the Dodgers (home against the Guardians) for the best record in the National League and three up on the Brewers (home against the Rockies) to earn homefield advantage until the World Series. And they hold a slight edge over the Orioles (vs. Rays), Guardians (at Dodgers) and Yankees (at Cubs) for best overall record.
That’s a lot to keep track of. But it matters, of course, because the Phillies are money at The Bank (47-24) and meh (37-32) everywhere else.
Which brings us to Bryce Harper.
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The Phillies superstar admitted last week he’s been bothered by discomfort in his surgically-repaired right elbow as well as his wrist and was taken out of Wednesday’s game in Toronto after being hit on the right elbow by a pitch.
He started Thursday and went 0-for-3 with a walk. He hasn’t homered since August 9. That was 97 plate appearances ago. Logic suggests that several days off might do wonders for him. But even with a comfortable division lead, finishing with the best record remains a goal. What’s a manger to do?
“There is a balance there and we’ll have to monitor it as we get there,” Rob Thomson said of his general approach to navigating the remaining three-plus weeks of the schedule. “There’s that final carrot of having the best record in baseball. So that’s there and I’ve said all along it’s just so important to play at home in front of our fan base. It just energizes our group, so I think that’s an important part. Without putting people in harm’s way.”
As far as Harper specifically, he said giving him a week off is the answer. “But, at some point, if we have to rest him, we will,” he added.
HE’S NO. 5: The Phillies have confirmed that righthander Seth Johnson will be called up and start against the Marlins on Sunday. He’ll replace Tyler Phillips, who was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his last start, in the rotation.
Johnson was acquired from the Orioles along with righthander Moises Chace in the trade deadline deal that sent reliever Gregory Soto to Baltimore. “The reports have been very good,” Thomson said. “The fastball is 94-96. He’s got a four-pitch mix. We’re really happy with wat we’ve got.”
That means it will be Zack Wheeler (13-6, 2.63) vs. RHP Edward Cabrera (3-6, 5.33) Friday night At 6:40 p.m., RHP Aaron Nola (12-6, 3.29) vs. RHP Darren McCaughan (0-0, 8.74) Saturday at 4:10 p.m. and Johnson, making his Major League debut) vs. RHP Max Meyer (3-5, 5.68) in Sunday’s 1:40 p.m. series finale.
ROSTER ROULETTE: Outfielder Aaron Hays was placed on the injured list with a kidney infection Thursday and outfielder Cal Stevenson was called up to replace him. “It’s a kidney infection, so we’re sending him back to Philadelphia to get further tests and make sure that’s what it is,” Thomson said. “Obviously, I’m no doctor but they’re telling me it’s hard to tell how long it will take. We thought that 48 hours of antibiotics would knock it out but it didn’t. In fact, it’s worse.” ... Alec Bohm remained out of the lineup with a sore wrist. “It’s just like one spot that he gets to and starts rolling his hand over and he can feel it. It feels a little better every day but it hasn’t progressed as quickly as we’d hoped,” Thomson said.
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