Daily News | Phillies face Astros challenge for return to MLB playoffs
WASHINGTON — If the Phillies are going to end baseball’s longest active playoff drought , they will have to do it against the best team in the American League.Phillies splash past Nationals, 8-1, in rain-shortened game; magic number falls to one after Brewers’ loss
But the Astros also get a bye in the best-of-three wild-card series and won’t host Game 1 of the American League Division Series until Oct. 11. So manager Dusty Baker said he intends to play his regulars this week to keep them sharp.After Sunday’s rain-shortened victory in Washington and the Milwaukee Brewers’ 12-inning loss at home to the Miami Marlins, the Phillies need to win only once in Houston to clinch a playoff spot.
Verlander, in particular, presents a challenge. He’s trying to put a finishing touch on a season that could yield his third Cy Young Award. He leads the majors in ERA and the AL in wins . He also has 175 strikeouts in 170 innings. The Phillies acquired Sosa in a deadline trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. They would carry him as a late-game defensive replacement at third base or shortstop. But he also has delivered big hits, going 17-for-54 with seven doubles, one triple, and two homers.
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