Three questions for the Phillies in Game 2, plus a thought about Zack Wheeler

Before we dive into Game 2 of the NLDS, let’s take a moment to remember Zack Wheeler. It’s hard to say that Saturday’s Game 1 would have gone any differently if it was Wheeler on the mound instead of Cristopher Sánchez. Maybe Wheeler would have made it through six-plus innings, as he has in nine of his 11 postseason starts. Maybe he would have given up less than two runs, as he did in five of those previous starts. Rob Thomson and Dave Dombrowski couldn’t have expected much more than they got out of Sánchez: 5⅔ innings, seven baserunners, two runs, eight strikeouts.

» READ MORE: Why Jesús Luzardo could be the best option to bridge the Phillies to Jhoan Duran in Game 2

What we do know: the calculus for Games 2 and 3 would have changed. Sánchez would be on the mound against Blake Snell. Jesús Luzardo or Ranger Suárez would be preparing to go in Game 3. The odd man out presumably would be ready to be deployed the way the Dodgers did “erstwhile” starter Tyler Glasnow in Game 1.

I’m not mentioning any of this in the name of wallowing or excusing. The Phillies couldn’t afford to let a win slip away, and that’s exactly what they did. Championships tend to be won by teams that are elite in at least two of the three phases of the game. In Game 1, the progress reports went like this:

Starting pitching: Very good

Hitting: Average

Bullpen: Average

That’s enough to lose to a complete team like the Dodgers.

That being said, I do wonder if the Phillies might have been able to do some different things with their bullpen if they had Wheeler at the top of the rotation. I guess it doesn’t matter now.

The big questions for Game 2:

The question stands whether or not Harrison Bader is available to play in center field after leaving Game 1 with a groin injury. Bader didn’t rule it out after the Phillies’ 5-3 loss when asked if he thought he’d be in the lineup on Monday. If Bader is sidelined, Brandon Marsh presumably will start in center. That would increase the likelihood that Thomson goes with both Weston Wilson in left and Nick Castellanos in right, given the need to make up for the loss of Bader’s right-handed bat. If Bader can go, would Thomson still go with Wilson and Castellanos, or would he want to keep better defense on the field at one of those positions (in the form of Marsh or Max Kepler)?

There are no easy answers. There may not even be any correct answers. Three weeks ago, Snell held the Phillies to four baserunners in seven scoreless innings while striking out 12. Castellanos and Wilson played in that game. Castellanos went 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Wilson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while starting at second base (Bryson Stott was at shortstop in place of the injured Trea Turner). Speaking of which, could Edmundo Sosa factor in?

Lots of people are ripping Thomson for his handling of the middle innings. But poor results aren’t an indication that they could have been avoided. There’s a reason I thought the Phillies should have added more than Jhoan Duran at the trade deadline. They thought they had enough after giving David Robertson $6 million. I think that was a case of wishful thinking, especially when combined with the downtick in sizzle from Matt Strahm this season. The fact remains, though, that was their thinking. And it’s sort of disingenuous to blame Thomson for abiding by that thinking. The answer to the question is, no, there is no Plan B.

Even if the Phillies win Game 2, the Dodgers still will have a chance to close out the series without a return trip to Philadelphia. If they lose, it almost certainly will be curtains on the season, and, potentially, the era.

Time goes fast, doesn’t it?

The 2008 team was a contender for three more seasons after its World Series title. The 2025 team may be at the end of a similar four-year window. Kyle Schwarber will be a free agent. Wheeler’s future is uncertain after surgery to remove a blood clot from his shoulder. Aaron Nola had a 6.01 ERA this season. José Alvarado has a team option for 2026. Castellanos already is a part-time player. There’s a very good chance that Monday night will be the last time Citizens Bank Park hosts the version of the Phillies that captured everyone’s hearts with their run to the 2022 World Series.

We’ll find out soon if this team has another chapter left to write.