LOS ANGELES -- The Phillies left Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night knowing they might be back in three weeks for Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
The Phils and Dodgers currently hold the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the NL’s postseason bracket. Even after the Phillies’ 5-0 loss in the series finale, they effectively have a lead of 6 1/2 games over the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed -- and a coveted first-round bye -- because they own a season tiebreaker against them.
If the seeds hold with just nine games to play, the Phillies and Dodgers could meet in the NLDS.
The Phillies have a big enough lead over L.A. that they shuffled their rotation to line up Cristopher Sánchez to start Game 1 of the NLDS.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson announced on Wednesday that right-handers Taijuan Walker and Walker Buehler will piggyback Friday night’s series opener against Arizona at Chase Field.
“It’ll be a Walker-Buehler piggyback,” Thomson said, dryly.
Aaron Nola will pitch Saturday. Ranger Suárez will pitch Sunday.
Sánchez will start Tuesday against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, which will allow him to start the Sept. 28 regular-season finale against the Twins.
Sánchez would then start Game 1 of the NLDS on Oct. 4 with five days’ rest. If the Phillies somehow lose the No. 2 seed, Sanchez would not pitch on Sept. 28 and instead would start Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Sept. 30.
“I didn’t want guys to go too long without pitching,” Thomson said.
Thomson declined to name the rest of his NLDS rotation, although the Phillies need only three starters in the best-of-five series.
“We can manipulate a lot of things after that,” Thomson said. “But Sanchy's the key right now.”
There is a good chance that Suárez starts Game 2 and Jesús Luzardo starts Game 3. Suárez would split up the hard-throwing Sánchez and Luzardo, giving opposing hitters a bit of a different look. Luzardo pitched into the eighth inning against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
If the Phillies advance to the NL Championship Series, they will need four starters. Nola remains the favorite to be the No. 4, despite season-long struggles.
“I mean, Nola's never pitched out of the ’pen,” Thomson said.
Buehler and Walker could piggyback one more time before the end of the season, but with Buehler starting and Walker relieving him. Right now, the Phillies are trying to see who can do what as they consider how to set their postseason roster.
Being a longman of sorts might be Buehler’s best opportunity to make the team.
Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa are all on the injured list, but each player is expected to be on the postseason roster. Bohm is expected back on Friday. Sosa could be back next week.
Turner could be back before the end of the regular season. He could face live pitching next week, likely against a Minor Leaguer, according to Thomson.
Thomson said he expects the Phillies to prepare pretty much the same as they did last year, when they had a bye.
“If we get there, I would like to have an intrasquad game with some intensity,” Thomson said, “because I think pitchers need to see hitters, the hitters need to see some live [pitching] just to keep their timing.”