Phillies won’t be on NBC Sports Philadelphia this weekend amid playoff chase

Good luck finding the Phillies on NBC Sports Philadelphia this weekend.

Thanks to a playoff chase that has Philadelphia in striking distance of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, the Phillies-Mets games Saturday and Sunday will air nationally to an audience of millions.

Saturday night’s game will air on Fox29, called by Don Orsillo and John Smoltz, with Ken Rosenthal reporting from Citi Field. The game will air nationally except for in the Midwest, where the Cubs-Milwaukee game will broadcast locally (and in Mobile, Ala., for some reason).

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Smoltz, Fox’s top MLB analyst, made news earlier this month after the New York Post reported he will no longer make studio appearances on the MLB Network due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The network has a vaccine mandate in place for all employees.

The finale to the three-game series between the Phillies and Mets will air on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Calling the game will be Matt Vasgersian and Alex Rodriguez, with Buster Onley reporting from the stands.

Rodriguez always seems to get under the skin of Phillies fans. In 2019 he was mocked for referring to a cheesesteak as a “cheese sandwich” and confused Phillies fans by insisting even leads are better than odd leads.

“You always want even leads versus odd leads,” Rodriguez said after suggesting Bryce Harper bunt to help the Phillies increase their lead by two. “Why? The solo home run doesn’t tie it, and the grand slam does not beat you,” Rodriguez said. “Keep it simple.”

But he’s also had strong moments, like when he called out former manager Gabe Kapler’s poor decision-making during a Phillies loss against the San Francisco Giants. His criticism was so strong and on point it impressed local critics like 94.1 WIP’s Glen Macnow.

“I’m not a big fan of A-Rod the broadcaster but, my God, he’s done a great job tonight of identifying and skewering everything Klentak and Kapler have done to screw up the Phillies,” Macnow wrote on Twitter.

Here’s how to watch and stream both of this weekend’s Phillies games:

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