In each of the past two seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies have won in the Wild Card Round of the postseason, before upsetting the NL East Champion Atlanta Braves — who were on a bye during the NLWCS — in the NLDS.
Have the Braves been particularly, well, whiny about the effect having the time off has had on them in the postseason? Yes. The Houston Astros had the same bye in 2022 and won the World Series. But there’s no doubt that during the Monday-Friday that the Phillies have off next week, they have to strike a balance between catching their breaths but not getting rusty in the process.
In an appearance on SportsRadio 94 WIP Friday, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski explained to Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie what the tentative plan for the bye week off.
“My guess is — without 100% [certainty], and we’ll continue to talk about this — is that we will probably take Monday off,” Dombrowski said. “And then come back playing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we’ll be working out. Friday, we have the normal workout before a game.
“We will play a simulated game in there at some point,” Dombrowski added. “I don’t know if we’ll play one or two. We will play it hard. It is not going to be one of those where ‘OK, let’s just go out there and go through the motions.’ It’s important that we stay sharp and focused.”
Obviously, we don’t yet know who will pitch in the simulated game(s), whether they will be open to the media, if they will be streamed etc.
It’s clear, though, that the Phillies are taking the two prior years of evidence under this playoff system, and trying to make sure they are both rested and prepared for whoever awaits them in Game 1 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park on Oct. 5.
“I think that’s one of the important parts is that you just can’t lay back and think everything is gonna be OK,” Dombrowski said. “You have to continue to press hard and push it. We’ve done a lot of work and study on that. I’ve been involved in a couple of layoffs myself during World Series times. You always are exploring how to do it better.”
“And we’re in a position where our pitchers need to work,” noted Dombrowski. “We’re gonna have to get some of them some work because they’re gonna be off for an extended time period. So they’re gonna have to go out there and throw hard. Maybe not seven innings, but they’re gonna have to go out there and throw hard.
“We’ll also put an emphasis on running fundamentals, doing all of our drills. We do all our PFPs (pitcher fielding practices) and get all of those things prepared, so we’re what we fell [is] 100% sharp ready to go for Saturday.”
