PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Phillies on Wednesday held one last workout at Citizens Bank Park before departing for Houston for the first two games of the World Series.
Phils manager Rob Thomson, as expected, named Aaron Nola the starter for Friday’s Game 1, with Zack Wheeler going in Game 2 on Saturday.
Thomson said having a five-day layoff gives him a chance to go with his top two starters for four of the possible seven games.
“It’s worked out and for us, it’s a huge advantage, because in a seven-game series you get them twice, both of them twice,” said Thomson.
“I think the numbers speak to the fact that both he and Nola on an extra day’s rest, their numbers are a lot better, and anytime we can give those guys an extra day, we’d do it.”
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Asked if five days between the League Championship Series and the World Series was a blessing or a curse, first baseman Rhys Hoskins chose to view it as a blessing.
“It’s the end of the year, right? Guys are dealing with things small, big, whatever it may be,” Hoskins said.
“But I just think most importantly it gives our arms – the guys that we’ve leaned on throughout the NLCS and NLDS – a chance to get off their feet and rest their arms a little bit.”
“A lot of guys on both sides are probably beat up pretty good,” added center field Brandon Marsh. “The four or five days for both squads is good, just to get some rest. Fix all the little hurts here and there and just get ready to go for Friday.”
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Both the Phillies and Astros played their last game on Sunday, so both will be coming off the same rest before Game 1 at 8:03 p.m. Friday night.
Hoskins also said that Philadelphia has a game plan for the Astros’ pitchers, who have only allowed 11 runs in their last six postseason games.
“Just the overall preparation of how we’ve attacked some of the pitchers so far, it seems to me that we have at least a winning formula, or a successful formula for how to go about those guys,” he said. “So that should give us all the confidence in the world once we step in the box.”
The Phillies only scored five runs in their season-ending three-game series against Houston, but won a 3-0 contest in the first game that clinched their ticket to the postseason, so the last two games were not as critical.
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The Phils are taking on a Houston team that won 106 games in the regular season and hasn’t lost in the postseason, but Marsh says his team is ready for the challenge.
“I know it’s a really good squad over there in Houston, but we’ve got one too, so it’s going to be a big clash,” said Marsh.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Thomson said there would be changes to the roster for the World Series, and he’d announce them Friday.
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