The Philadelphia Phillies' recent contention has revived some of their biggest National League East rivalries. In 2022 and 2023, they were able to knock out their rival Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, each time as a Wild Card. Those series brought back the bad blood that was experienced by both franchises decades earlier, from players and fans alike. The 2023 NLDS marked the third time that the Phillies and Braves had faced in the playoffs, with all three series ending in favor of the Phillies.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Phillies had never played their other big division rival, the New York Mets, in the postseason. That ended in October, when the Phillies fell to the underdog Mets in four games in the NLDS. The Phillies have gone 2-2 at the Braves' Truist Park in the playoffs, which is far better than they've performed at the Mets' Citi Field.
Playing the Mets at Citi Field has always been a house of horrors for the Phillies
Phillies fans may think it sure seems like the Phillies don't do a whole lot of winning at Citi Field. They would be correct, as proven by this graphic the NBC Sports Philadelphia postgame crew flashed following the Phillies' lifeless 5-1 defeat to the Mets in the second game of their series.
Yikes. These numbers date back to the Mets' inaugural season at Citi Field in 2009. They were further made worse by the Phillies' 4-3 extra-innings loss on Wednesday to secure a Mets sweep. For all of you keeping track, that now makes it eight losses in the Phillies' last nine games in this ballpark, including seven straight. An overall record of 6-20 is a surprise to even the most diehard Phillies fan who watches every single game, and is made even more shocking by the fact that it's over the past three seasons in which the Phillies have reached the postseason.
The overwhelming expectation is that the 2025 Phillies will extend that playoff streak. Of course, there are five months left, but the vibes are incredibly low with this team at the moment. At 13-12 and riding a four-game losing streak, they now find themselves five games back of the Mets for first in the NL East.
Just don't tell Mets fans their team has by far the longest World Series championship drought in the division (they don't like that one). It's valid for Phillies fans to voice their concerns at the moment, since the problems plaguing the team currently surrounding their poor offensive approaches, lack of timely hitting, and untrustworthy bullpen are the same ones that sent them home early the last two Octobers.
That sweep was the Phillies' first time being swept on the road in the regular season since they unsurprisingly were also swept out of Queens by the Mets from May 30-June 1, 2023. The streak was going to end eventually, but for it to happen in this manner and to the Mets makes it sting quite a bit.
Thankfully for the Phillies, they finally get to leave Citi Field for their three-game weekend series in Chicago against the NL Central-leading Cubs. It's going to be difficult to contain the Cubs' near-league-best offense at a hitter-friendly park in Wrigley Field, but at least they've left their house of horrors.