A grand slam from a division rival saved the Phillies’ playoff chances — for now

WASHINGTON — A grand slam from a division rival at a ballpark 850 miles away from Philadelphia may have saved the season. Maybe.

In the top of the eighth, former starter turned reliever Freddy Peralta was called upon to protect a two-run lead against the Miami Marlins. Former Brewers outfielder Avisaíl García crushed a 1-2 fastball to center field for his first-career grand slam.

Crisis averted for the Phillies.

Despite going 2-for-21 with runners in scoring position and losing all three games to a team 16 games under .500 with their three best starting pitchers on the mound, the Phillies head in to a monumental five-game set against the Nationals with a 0.5-game lead over the Brewers

The Phillies’ season is on life support, but there’s a path to revitalization.

They have a day-night doubleheader scheduled for Friday against a Washington team they have handled all year long. They are 13-2 against the Nationals and 4-1 at Nationals Park in 2022. Erick Fedde will start game one for Washington. He has given up at least three runs in each of his last seven starts against the Phillies.

Bailey Falter will be on the bump for game one. Noah Syndergaard gets the ball for game two. Falter is looking to rebound after allowing six earned run in his last start against the Atlanta Braves. Syndergaard is making his first start since Sept 15. He was originally placed in the bullpen to serve as Zack Wheeler’s piggyback partner. Now that Wheeler is relatively stretched out, it’s possible Syndergaard could be a reliever for the rest of the season.

But really, the difference between winning and losing this weekend lies in the offense. In 15 games against Washington this season, the Phillies have scored at least five runs in 12 of them. The Phillies offense has used Washington’s pitching staff as an opportunity to reset. Just take the last meeting between these two clubs as an example.

The Phillies won the first series of the second to last homestand against Miami, but some of their best hitters still needed to get going for the stretch run. After going 3-for-21 in his last six games, Harper hit a two-run, game-tying opposite field home run against Fedde. Harper is 10-for-20 with six home runs against his former high school teammate. Maybe this is an opportunity for Harper and his teammates to rediscover the long ball.

As far as playoff scenarios go for Friday, just about anything is possible. With rain scattered throughout the day, it will be a challenge to fit 18 innings of baseball in today. But let’s just say that they are able to fully play both games.

With a Phillies sweep and a Brewers loss, the Phillies could cut their magic number in half from six to three. It would put the Phillies in the theoretical driver’s seat. They would have a chance to wrap up a playoff spot in Washington, assuming all four games of the series are played.

A Nationals sweep and a Brewers win means the Phillies could be a game out of the wild card. It’s not a totally insurmountable deficit, but given the fact that the Phillies would be on a seven-game losing streak in that scenario, it would be tough to see them claw back.

The Phillies can’t count on getting too much help from the Marlins. Sandy Alcantara is on the mound against Corbin Burnes. The Marlins and Brewers have identical 19-12 records when their respective ace is on the mound.

By the end of today, the narrative around the Phillies’ playoff chances could shift dramatically. Or it could stay the same. Or it could get worse somehow.

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