Phillies fatigue evident in Monday's loss to the Yankees
Following a 2-1 loss on Sunday Night Baseball against the Texas Rangers, the Philadelphia Phillies were forced to fly halfway across the country to New York, where they landed at 2:48 a.m. local time according to Sports + Aviation.
Fatigue from a red-eye flight was apparent early in the game, with the New York Yankees jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looking back. Philadelphia's offense managed only one run across nine innings.
MLB Rule Change that should happen as soon as 2024
Major League Baseball should strongly consider giving teams a scheduled off-day on Monday if they are forced to travel to a new city after playing on Sunday Night Baseball.
From a competitive balance perspective, teams are at an unfair disadvantage if they are unable to get a good night of sleep due to travel restrictions placed on them due to a nationally televised game. The product also suffers in these situations, with last night's contest between the Phillies and Yankees being one of the least entertaining games of the season to date, as a result of the lopsided score.
A poor night of sleep without an opportunity to recover the following day can also lead to negative implications over multiple days. Philadelphia has games each of the next three days before getting a breather on Friday. It will be interesting to monitor their performance during this upcoming stretch to see if there is a prolonged hangover effect.
San Diego Padres on deck
If fans are looking to track this trend throughout the course of the season, they will have plenty of opportunities. Up next, the San Diego Padres play on Sunday Night Baseball on the road against the Atlanta Braves. The following day, they are expected to be in Flushing for a matchup with the New York Mets.