PHILADELPHIA — On December 20, 2018, former Phillies general manager Matt Klentak opened the door at Citizens Bank Park to greet star third baseman Manny Machado. He was a big-name, big-money target for a star-hunting Phillies team. Ultimately, it wasn’t a match in free agency. Machado signed with the Padres, while Philadelphia pivoted to a 13-year deal with superstar Bryce Harper.
But almost eight years later and nearly 3,000 miles away, Machado helped keep the door open for the Phillies on Saturday night.
While the Phillies were in the midst of a lifeless 12-1 blowout loss, their fourth in a row at Citizens Bank Park, Machado hit a key three-run, go-ahead laser beam to give San Diego an early two-run lead in an eventual 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks at Petco Park. The Padres clinched home-field advantage in the National League Wild Card Series and – whether they cared or not – kept the free-falling Phillies in control of their own destiny.
Despite another deflating, devastating defeat, Philadelphia’s magic number dropped to one, thanks to Arizona’s loss. If the Phillies win on Sunday, they’ll be in the postseason. After the horrifying events of the past few days, it’s a fortunate position to still be in.
“Just win a game tomorrow,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “I mean, that’s really what it comes down to. We got to let today go. We got to let yesterday go. We got to let the last two weeks go. We just got to win a game tomorrow. That’s what matters.”
The Phillies (87-74) cannot get back the chance to host a Wild Card Series. They cannot get back their chance to set up their pitching for the first round of the playoffs. All that’s left is one more day, one more chance to secure the No. 6 seed in the NL bracket. The club can take care of that with a victory and/or a Diamondbacks loss on Sunday.
They will, again, have all hands on deck. After pitching veteran Aaron Nola, who allowed three runs in one inning, on two days’ rest on Saturday, ace Zack Wheeler will take the mound in the 162nd game of the season. Interim manager Don Mattingly said he expects the team to reinstate left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the injured list.
“That puts us in basically a Game 7, must-win, you-win-you’re-in type situation,” Mattingly said, “and probably a pretty good guy to have on the hill in Zack.”
It’s not ideal, as that will probably keep Wheeler from starting in a potential Wild Card Series, but it’s what the Phillies need to do. They have not taken care of business, and everyone in Philadelphia can feel it. On Sept. 1, the Phillies were in the top NL Wild Card spot and 6.5 games clear of the Diamondbacks. On Sept. 18, with eight games left in the regular season, they were in the second Wild Card position and five games ahead of Arizona.
But in their past four games, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth heading into each day, Philadelphia has tallied just three runs. The team has crumbled at the most inopportune moment. There is almost no more room for error.
“Two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have guessed that we’d be in this situation,” Realmuto, hitless in his past 34 at-bats, said. “But that’s this game. It knows how to humble you. So hopefully we can come out of this better tomorrow, get in the postseason and get hot then.”
It won’t be the prettiest finish to a season no matter what, but the Phillies got the assistance necessary to stay in the driver’s seat. They can determine where the ride ends up with a winning effort in Game 162.
“It’s frustrating,” Realmuto said. “We definitely understand the frustration, because we feel it as well. This isn’t the time of year to go cold, and obviously we put ourselves in a tough situation where we have to win tomorrow’s game to keep our season alive, most likely. So it’s definitely frustrating, but we have hope in this group, and we have a lot of confidence here that we can get it going tomorrow.”
Stephen Knepp
September 27, 2026 at 8:10 am
I don’t put last night on Nola. When pitchers throw a bullpen session it’s designed to stretch out; and refine mechanics like stride, grip and release. It’s not supposed to be the max effort that a game requires.
His turn around has been remarkable, and although I have been a harsh critic, Nola has shown he still has plenty left in his tank. Last night? That was about character, heart and commitment. Those attributes were never in question.