Phillies-Mets won’t be televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia the next few nights

After Wednesday’s thrilling win against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies return home to take on the lowly New York Mets in a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. But fans won’t be able to catch the next few games on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Thursday’s Phillies-Mets game will air on Fox, while Friday’s game will stream exclusively on Apple TV+ for the second week in a row. The Phillies return to NBC Sports Philadelphia for the final two games against the Mets on Saturday and Sunday.

The Phillies enter the series solidly in the top wild-card spot. If the playoffs were to start today, the Phillies would face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the wild-card round at Citizens Bank Park. The Milwaukee Brewers, in first place in the National League Central, would host the third wild-card team.

The Phillies still have nearly two weeks of games to play, though they have a relatively easy schedule. After the Mets, they’ll take on the Pittsburgh Pirates before heading up I-95 to face New York again to close out the season. If everything breaks right, the Phillies could clinch a wild-card spot by early next week.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the Phillies this weekend:

The first game of the series against the Mets will air on Fox’s Baseball Night in America, with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m..

Calling the game on Fox is play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and Hall of Famer John Smoltz, in his ninth season calling MLB games at the network. Veteran baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal will be reporting from Citizens Bank Park.

About half the country will get Phillies-Mets, while the rest will see the Baltimore Orioles take on the Cleveland Guardians, according to 506 Sports.

It’s the 11th season for Baseball Night in America on Fox, which is averaging nearly 1.9 million viewers per game this season, down about 3% from last season. That’s still good enough to make it the most-watched MLB package this year, edging out ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

» READ MORE: Here’s why Citizens Bank Park doesn’t have a dedicated hoagie place

For the second-straight week, the Phillies will appear on Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball package, which features two games each week.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and calling Friday’s game for Apple TV+ will be Alex Faust and former Colorado Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs. Tricia Whitaker will report live from Citizens Bank Park, while two former MLB umpires — Dale Scott and Brian Gorman — will be on hand to break down rules and reviews during the broadcast.

To watch the game, you’ll need to subscribe to Apple TV+, which will set you back $6.99 a month. Apple is offering a seven-day free trial.

Having to sign up for streaming services to watch games can be annoying, but it’s a trend that’s not going away soon. MLB’s deal with Apple, worth $85 million a year, runs through the 2028 season, and the league has boasted about the company’s international reach as regional sports networks across the country struggle.

Apple TV+ offers the option to listen to the local radio broadcasts of either team. So if Phillies fans want to hear Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen’s call on 94.1 WIP Friday night, it’s only a click away.

The Phillies will be back on NBC Philadelphia on Saturday, but Tom McCarthy won’t be joining them.

The veteran announcer, in his 16th season as the TV voice of the Phillies, won’t be on hand to call the Phillies-Mets game. Instead, he’ll be on CBS calling Ole Miss vs. Alabama alongside Ross Tucker and Jason McCourty.

Filling in for McCarthy will be radio announcer Scott Franzke, who will be in the booth alongside Rubén Amaro Jr., the former Phillies general manager in his fourth season calling games for NBC Sports Philadelphia. Gregg Murphy will call Saturday’s game on 94.1 WIP alongside veteran analyst Larry Andersen.

McCarthy will be back to call Sunday’s game and won’t miss another Phillies game this year after giving back a football game CBS assigned him during the final weekend of the MLB season.

“I’ve always felt that one sport makes me better and helps me with the other,” McCarthy said. “I still wind up doing probably more games than anybody in baseball on TV because I don’t take any other time off. So it’s cool to dabble in the other ones, but be able to get back to the Phillies.”

» READ MORE: Phillies change plans for Michael Lorenzen; Bryson Stott making a case for a Gold Glove

The Braves have already clinched the NL East, meaning the Phillies will once again have to win 11 playoff games to return to the World Series.

For the second year, the MLB playoffs will feature 12 teams (six from each league), up from 10 teams in 2021. That includes three division winners and three wild card teams per league. Here’s how the teams in each league are seeded:

Fox will broadcast the final two rounds of the American League playoffs, while the National League games will air on TBS. The World Series will once again air on Fox.

Here’s how the MLB playoff schedule breaks down this season:

» READ MORE: NBC Sports Philly's John Kruk and the St. Louis Arch, explained