Dancing On My Own; Pt. 2
Wildcard Baseball – Philadelphia, PA
By The Dunkin Dad
The 2023 Philadelphia Phillies: Unfinished Business
Unapologetically, the Philadelphia Phillies & The City of Brotherly Love make their return to the MLB Postseason; for some unfinished business.
Fueled by veterans Harper, Schwarber, and Realmuto; the Fightins’ are a force to be reckoned with; especially at home in South Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Park has been known to transform itself into a raucous, rambunctious Cathedral of Baseball; an unwelcoming sight for any visiting team.
Filled with the most passionate fans, way too many Delco Girls, and the Day Care Kids (Marsh, Stott & Bohm), the Phillies have retooled, re-equipped and reloaded for a deep playoff run. Anything other than a World Series Title and parade on Broad Street will be considered a failure.
The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Miami Marlins in the Wildcard Series beginning tomorrow evening. The two teams faced off 13 times this season with the Marlins winning the regular season head to head 7 wins to 6 losses. However, it should be noted, that the Phillies outscored the Marlins 64-55 in those games.
Nonetheless, the series should provide great match-ups and having home field advantage certainly benefits the Phillies. Both the Phillies and Marlins ended the year tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the most Walk-Off wins (8); thus setting the stage for a fantastic finish each night. It is also of note to mention that both teams finished with 40+ comeback wins on the season. So, don’t miss a single pitch or leave the game early thinking it’s all wrapped up.
Game Probables:
Game 1: Wheeler Vs. Luzardo. Advantage: Phillies
Game 2: Nola vs Garrett. Advantage: Push, but you never know which Nola you’re gonna get.
Game 3: if necessary TBD
Offensively the Phillies have a superb lineup filled with power, speed, and sheer we’ll “bleep you up” in an instant; but don’t count out Miami who is no stranger to timely hitting and has a lower K rate.
Defensively, even with early gaffs by Turner and Bohm, the Phillies are much tighter defending and hold runners on base; thanks in part to the BCIB.
Thoughts:
This series should be painfully entertaining as a Phillies fan and I’m looking forward to sandwiching the MLB Postseason push in between my Philadelphia Eagles games. The heck with PSL; hoagies, soft pretzels, Yards & Lagers at the ready. What a joyous time to once again be a Philadelphia Sportsfan. Now kindly, pass me the antacid tablets, a shot of Fireball, and get the he** out of my house. It’s RED OCTOBER baby! Go Phillies and Go Birds!
