It’s the Final Countdown — Series Preview: Twins at Phillies, September 26 – 28

Even without a goal to play for, the Phillies kept it rolling against the Marlins, winning two out of three at the Bank. The home crowd did not get to see much sun this week (just ask their ponchos), but luckily, the Phillies’ offense brought their own heat.

And even though the Marlins may not be a playoff-caliber team, with the way the Phillies’ offense battled, it felt like we watched a playoff-ready team take the series.

Now, the Phillies have one final task in the regular season—the Minnesota Twins. With one win, they can match their win count from 2024, and with a series win, they will surpass it. Kyle Schwarber is still chasing Ryan Howard’s home run record; he’ll need two long-balls to tie.

So while you may think that these games are unimportant since they’ve clinched, that really is not the case. There is still a whole lot to play for.

No Quit in this Team

We learned two things in the Marlins series: Kyle Schwarber is an unstoppable force, and the Phillies look playoff ready.

Well, the observation about Schwarber is well-known at this point, but we still cannot gloss over his performance. Schwarber is slashing .281/.406/.702 in his last 15 games, tallying 7 home runs and 12 RBI in 57 at-bats. It will take another big series, but with three home runs, Kyle Schwarber will pass Ryan Howard and hold the record for the most home runs by a Phillie in the regular season.

In regard to the rest of the team, most will argue that they, too, are ready for playoff baseball. Though they did not notch the victory, the Phillies duked it out in an 11-inning ballgame against the Marlins on Tuesday. Win or not, many of the past Phillies teams would have quit after allowing two runs in the top of the tenth. Instead, the Phillies strung together some hits and forced an 11th inning, where they ultimately fell short.

An Old Friend Returns

There was a lot of hype around Phillies’ former pitching prospect Mick Abel. He showed signs of stardom when first called up to the majors, but he struggled to get outs consistently. Abel was dealt to the Twins at the deadline in exchange for Jhoan Duran, who has become a vital part of the Phillies’ bullpen down the stretch.

Now, less than two months later, Abel will be back on the mound at Citizens Bank Park, but he won’t be sporting his red pinstripes.

Abel had his ups and downs with the Phillies. In his first big-league start, he chucked six scoreless innings against the Pirates and struck out nine. From there, however, he struggled with consistency, posting a 5.04 overall ERA in his time in Philly.

And since being dealt to Minnesota, his struggles have been exacerbated, allowing 13 earned runs in eight innings with the Twins. Opponents are hitting .385 against Abel, and the Phillies should know what to expect from their former teammate, so it should give the Phils’ offense a leg up in game two.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, September 26th, 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Saturday, September 27th, 6:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Sunday, September 28th, 3:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 4-10, 6.46 ERA) vs. Joe Ryan (RHP, 13-9, 3.47 ERA)

Game 2: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 12-7, 3.12 ERA) vs. Mick Abel (RHP, 2-4, 7.36 ERA)

Game 3: Christopher Sanchez (LHP, 13-5, 2.57 ERA) vs. Simeon Woods Richardson (RHP, 6-3, 4.27 ERA)

By The Numbers

• Records
  • Phillies: 94-65
  • Twins: 69-90
• Run Differential
  • Phillies: 132
  • Twins: -97
• Runs Scored Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.86
  • Twins: 4.22
• Runs Allowed Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.03
  • Twins: 4.83

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