The Philadelphia Phillies will need all hands on deck Sunday if they hope to win a rain-drenched Game 162 to clinch a postseason berth against a Tampa Bay Rays team that refuses to roll over. Meanwhile, on the other coast, the Arizona Diamondbacks - the Phillies' chief foe - will face a San Diego Padres team that's treating their finale like a 15-1 NFL team being forced to play a Week 17 matchup on the road in Cleveland.
For those who were hoping for an ounce of extra help after the Padres came up big and flexed their muscles in defeating the D-Backs and reopening the Phillies' playoff door on Saturday night, well ... it'll be very tough to rely on an encore.
Manny Machado is starting and batting second, but Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill are all on the shelf. Even catching wunderkind Ethan Salas won't have a chance to be a surprise spark; he's sitting in favor of Freddy Fermin, the Pads' lower-ceiling backstop.
Meanwhile, the Rays - with everything similarly secured, and without the luxury of playing in beautiful San Diego weather - are starting all their biggest guns in Philly. Only Chandler Simpson, still battling a minor injury, is on the shelf.
Game 162. pic.twitter.com/eBXlSS9FHf
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 27, 2026
Phillies' stakes in must-win game vs. Rays just ratcheted up even further after Padres lineup drop
Jesus Luzardo will be active on Sunday for Don Mattingly's team after the skipper somehow, some way, saw some good signs in Saturday night's damp drubbing. Zack Wheeler will be on the bump to begin the game, and Jhoan Duran will be available to end it, if they're able to toe the line with a lead all the way 'til the end.
This is how it was always meant to be - well, not the total collapse, but the part where the Phillies can't rely on anyone else's help and have to take care of things themselves. This was always the destiny of Bryce Harper and the suddenly stale-seeming core. Stop scoreboard watching the west coast. Stop planning clinch celebrations that rely on waiting around and backing in. Do it yourself. Or don't. Either way, the Padres aren't going to go unnecessarily hard just to help you gain an edge you can't seem to give yourselves.
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