Weekend series with Mets must-win situation for Phillies

With one month to go before the playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies need all of the wins possible to have a fighting shot at a Wild Card spot.

As crazy as it is to believe that October baseball is right around the corner, the Philadelphia Phillies are facing more pressure than ever to earn one of the playoff spots in the National League.

Thanks to a successful offseason highlighted by the addition of Bryce Harper, expectations were rightfully high for the Phillies when it comes to having what it takes to make a serious run at the World Series.

Unfortunately, Philadelphia has seen plenty of ups and downs over the last couple of months, especially when it comes to seeing how unreliable their bullpen has been at times.

Since winning the NL East basically seems impossible at this point due to the deep hole dug by Philadelphia over the months, it looks like the only chance of reaching the postseason is by earning one of the two Wild Card spots.

With that being said, this is yet another challenge standing in the way of the Phillies since they enter this weekend’s series against the New York Mets trailing the Chicago Cubs 2.5 games for that final Wild Card spot in the National League standings.

Coincidentally, the Mets find themselves in the hunt (five games back of the Wild Card) for a playoff spot as well, meaning this weekend could watch this rivalry heat up with plenty on the line.

From Philadelphia’s perspective, the argument can be made this team is dealing with way more pressure since unlike New York, they were expected to be a serious contender at this point in the 2019 season.

Anything short of the playoffs will make this year seem like a complete bust for the Phillies when looking at all of the talent brought in during the offseason, and could very well even cost Gabe Kapler his job.

A few months ago, a weekend series against the Mets this late in the summer would have seemed like a gift for the Phillies, but this will be far from the case over the next few days.

If Philadelphia fails to take advantage of the situation for a second weekend in a row after falling to the Miami Marlins last weekend, it will only add to the unfortunate pressure this team is already dealing with entering September.