Philadelphia Phillies have a “dilemma” regarding postseason rotation

The Philadelphia Phillies have been waiting to reach the postseason since their elimination from the NLCS last year.

Every player in the locker room knows what’s at stake, and the Phillies have no excuse not to get the job done.

Winning is never easy, but Philadelphia has more than enough to bring home the World Series. If they don’t, it will be a huge disappointment.

As far as their postseason roster goes, everything seems to be sorted out, but the Phillies may be facing a “dilemma” to think about.

With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola expected to get the ball in Games 1 and 2, Philadelphia is in a better position than any other team in Major League Baseball to pull this off.

When Wheeler and Nola are on the mound, it’s simple: the Phillies have to win.

Others, including Cristopher Sanchez, have to perform at their best.

The left-hander was incredible and threw better than anyone could have hoped.

However, his numbers on the road raise concerns about how he might throw in October.

That’s why Bob Nightengale of USA Today believes Philadelphia needs to make a decision about when to pitch.

“The Philadelphia Phillies will face an interesting dilemma in the postseason. Do they let Cristopher Sanchez start Game 2 to ensure the Phillies play at home, or Game 3 on the road? In 16 home games, Sanchez has a 2.05 ERA with a .959 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 105 ⅓ innings. In 14 road games, he has a 5.02 ERA and a 1.661 WHIP with 54 strikeouts in 71 ⅔ innings.”

Although Nightengale makes a valid point, the first two games in a series are arguably bigger than the others.

Since both games are being played at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies must win both to have confidence heading into away games 3 and 4.

Wheeler and Nola give them the best chance to win these games.

Maybe this would be possible away from home, but it is not easy to win playoff games away from home.

The most likely outcome seems to be that Sanchez will pitch 3rd or 4th in the rotation, which would mean pitching away from home.

He has a 3.25 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and has struck out 149 hitters in 177.0 innings pitched.

The 27-year-old has played in four different major league seasons, but during that time he has only appeared in a single postseason game.

In his only start, he allowed one earned run in 2 1/3 innings pitched.

There is a lot riding on Sanchez and no matter where or when he starts, he has to be ready to go.