Philadelphia’s local media never let their teams off the hook, a sentiment on full display Sunday afternoon when the Phillies squandered a three-run lead against the Miami Marlins. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Michael Barkann and Ricky Bottalico emphasized that this game could come back to haunt Philly sports fans this fall, especially if the team falls short of a playoff spot or home-field advantage.
Phillies postgame show was objectively hilarious today😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/thAA0QpB6u
— jUSTIN (@metsventpage) April 20, 2025
“We never count these games in April,” Barkan noted. “But if the Phillies were to fail to make the playoffs or win the division, then look back at this game! They were up 4-1 in the seventh and didn’t do what was necessary. The errors and blunders wasted a great performance by Jesús Luzardo.” Bottalico added, “It felt like they got sucked into a bad team. This Marlins team is terrible. The bullpen is becoming a concern, even this early in the season. They just gave this game away. During the seventh inning, I thought, ‘They’ve let this team off the hook too much.’ The Phillies have started well in this series, so they need to step on the opponent’s throat and not let them up!”
While blaming future Phillies’ shortcomings on this particular game may seem hyperbolic, it’s refreshing to have analysts treat every regular-season game with significance because they matter. Baseball often struggles to create urgency this early in the season, especially with over 100 games remaining to rectify any mistakes. Yet, games in April hold the same weight as those in September, and communicating that importance to fans is crucial for keeping them engaged throughout the season.
Thus, while it might seem excessive to cite this game during playoff discussions, suggesting things could have been different had the Phillies handled business in April isn’t as far-fetched as it may appear.
