Phillies see the NL wild-card series vs. the Cardinals as the beginning, not the end

HOUSTON — The Phillies’ wild-card playoff matchup with the Cardinals is ironic, given that they faced St. Louis in their last postseason appearance on Oct. 7, 2011, exactly 11 years before Friday’s Game 1.

But rather than focusing on that, a message has been communicated within the clubhouse over the past few days, one interim manager Rob Thomson alluded to on Monday night, minutes after his team clinched a playoff spot.

Making the playoffs should not be the end goal for the 2022 Phillies — it should be the beginning.

“I don’t feel like we’re playing with nothing to lose,” second baseman Jean Segura said of the first playoffs of his career, which dates back to 2012. “We have a lot to lose. Because we don’t want to lose. We want to keep moving forward. We want to advance to the second round, third round, and get to the World Series and win it.

“We have to bring it. You cannot let the opportunity go by, thinking we have nothing to lose. We’ve got a lot to lose. This is a whole year, a whole effort, starting from spring training and now get to this point to think we’ve got nothing to lose? No.”

Segura said veterans Kyle Schwarber and David Robertson, who played in 25 postseason series combined, have spoken to the team about the importance of having this mindset, especially going into a best-of-three set against the Cardinals.

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The Phillies narrowly edged the Cardinals, 4-3, in the season series, but those were some hard-fought games.

“When I go back to the series we’ve had against them, earlier in the year … every game was a dogfight, so I think those are going to be like that too,” said outfielder Matt Vierling, a St. Louis native. “It was really close all the way around.”

Segura isn’t too concerned.

“I feel like we have a pretty good chance,” he said. “When we face really good teams, we play better baseball. I don’t know how. But somehow, we do. We almost took three out of four with Atlanta at home. The Dodgers, we take three out of four in L.A. We take three out of [three] in Milwaukee. Two out of four in St. Louis. Two out of three in Seattle.

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“When we face a really good team, I think our focus is way better. I think we’re locked in. I think this postseason we’re going to be locked in like that.”

The 2011 Cardinals defeated the Phillies in a National League Division Series that went the maximum five games. That was followed by the playoff drought that will end Friday.

But history isn’t weighing on the Phillies.

“I don’t think it’s much of a factor,” Vierling said. “We’re here now, we’re focused on the present. I haven’t heard anybody mention it.”

“For me personally, no [it’s not on my mind],” said reliever Andrew Bellatti. “In 2011, I would have been in Hudson Valley, I think, with the Rays. That’s not on our mind because it’s a new year, a whole new group of guys.”

Thomson said he plans to announce the Phillies’ postseason roster on Friday. Bailey Falter pitched one inning on Wednesday against the Astros in Game 162, which indicates that he’ll have a spot as a reliever. There are a few questions that the Phillies will need answers to before deciding who makes the cut, namely how infielder Edmundo Sosa (right hamstring strain) and reliever Brad Hand (left elbow tendinitis) respond to their respective workouts.

Sosa batted against reliever Vinny Nittoli at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, and also did some infield work and ran the bases. Hand threw a bullpen session in Houston.

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