PHILADELPHIA-- For the final time in the regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies will be on the road. Facing off against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies will get a competitive matchup against a club that is fighting for its life.
The Diamondbacks currently trail the New York Mets by two games for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Arizona is tied with Cincinnati, but holds the tiebreaker over the Reds if they finish with the same record. This upcoming series against the Phillies means everything to the 2023 National League champs.
On the other side, the Phillies are looking to get home healthy. They need a mixture of four wins or four losses from the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a first-round bye in the 2025 playoffs. They currently trail the Milwaukee Brewers by three games for the top seed and would need to finish a game ahead of the Brewers for that top spot. Chances are, the Phillies are now locked into the second seed.
Pitching Matchups
The Phillies have mixed up their starting rotation for the remainder of the season. According to Rob Thomson, this is an effort to make sure Cristopher Sanchez is in line to start game one of the postseason.
Taijuan Walker (5-8, 4.17 ERA) vs Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.34 ERA)
Friday's matchup between these two teams will serve as an audition for the Phillies. The team is deciding between three pitchers: Taijuan Walker, Walker Buehler, and Aaron Nola for the fourth starter in the postseason.
In my opinion, the favorite to win the job is Walker, who gets the nod Friday. Thomson told reporters that he plans on using Buehler as a follower in the game, meaning after Walker is finished, the Phillies will piggyback Buehler into the game. This gives the Phillies manager another look at the club's newest addition.
Aaron Nola (4-9, 6.44 ERA) vs Zac Gallen (12-14, 4.73 ERA)
To say it has been a rough year for Aaron Nola would be to understate his performance in 2025. Injuries and poor performance derailed Nola's season very early on this season. He has not been able to return to form and has been inconsistent from outing to outing. He is trying to use his final few starts to prove to his manager he can be the pitcher of old.
If Nola can put together a clean outing against the Diamondbacks, it might go a long way in the decision for Thomson. A hot offense that is trying to sneak into the postseason is certainly a worthy test. Nola has to be at his best on Saturday evening, or his season might be wrapping up a little sooner than his teammates.
Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.84 ERA) vs Eduardo Rodriguez (8-8, 5.12 ERA)
To close the series, the Phillies will send Ranger Suarez to the mound on Sunday.
In what might be his final season in a Phillies uniform, Suarez has been dominant. He will likely get the ball in game two of the team's first playoff series, behind Sanchez. Suarez had another strong outing against the Dodgers, tossing six innings and allowing three earned runs. In his last seven starts, he has pitched to an impressive 2.57 earned run average.
The outcome of course is important, but the Phillies' main goal will be to keep their left-hander healthy as the season comes to an end.
Alley Talk
This afternoon, Philly Sports Network's Kyle Fisher will be live on YouTube, previewing the Phillies-Diamondbacks series.
Check out the latest episode of Alley Talk, an exclusive Phillies show, presented by Metro Philadelphia.
https://www.youtube.com/live/AtcAlnJ4_kw?si=fQwb47rmlzolAMzr
