On Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East in a comeback victory over the L.A. Dodgers.
As they look to the playoffs, they have all the necessities needed to go far. They got a solid core at the plate with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm.
While they can certainly swing the bats, it is their pitching staff that will ultimately make or break the Phillies. Catcher J.T. Realmuto clearly emphasizes the pitching staff as the key factor, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
Even with the absence of starter Zach Wheeler due to a blood clot in his shoulder.
“I think our depth is as good as it's been,” Realmuto said. “And as much as it's tough to lose a guy like Wheeler, we have so much starting-pitching depth. They're really good, they give us innings, and the back end of our bullpen is, in my opinion, as good as it's ever been with the Phillies. That really matters in the postseason, being able to get those outs in the eighth or ninth inning and have confidence in your guys. That's a huge deal.”
The Phillies are making their third consecutive playoff appearance. They are looking for their first World Series title since 2008.
The makeup of the pitching rotation for the Phillies in the playoffs
Even without Wheeler, the Phillies still have valuable assets both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen.
Beginning with the trio of Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo. Suarez is 12-6 with an ERA of 2.84 and 145 strikeouts. Altogether, he pitched six effective innings against the Dodgers that included five strikeouts.
Sanchez is 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA and 192 strikeouts. Last Wednesday, he struck out 6 and gave up one earned run in an 11-3 win over the Mets.
Luzardo is 14-6 with an ERA of 4.03 and has 200 strikeouts to his name. During his last start, Luzardo struck out 10 in eight innings pitched in a 6-5 Phillies win over the Mets last Thursday.
Closer Jhoan Duran, whom the Phillies acquired from the Twins, has 30 saves this season and a 1.93 ERA.
Thus, giving the Phillies are source of comfort on the mound to close out the game in the later innings.
