September 27, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
When will the Phillies actually start their final regular season game?
It's been a rough few days for the Phillies. They've lost four games in a row, and have been sitting on the cusp of a postseason berth for about a week, as their bats have gone quiet against the Brewers and Rays.
Scheduled to play in regular season Game 162 Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m., the Phillies need a win, or a Diamondbacks loss to fall backward into the final playoff spot in the National League.
The Phils are preparing to pull out all the stops for this one. They're starting Zack Wheeler — whom they had hoped to rest for a Wild Card series he'll now be unable to start in. They rushed Jesús Luzardo back from the injured list, and he's planning to pitch out of the bullpen if needed.
These are all reasonable moves they should be willing to make, though at the same time, they're sacrificing their best chance of beating the Braves next week. The Phillies must throw everything but the kitchen sink at this game Sunday to try and get a win.
Ignoring for a moment that it's the team's offense, not its starting pitching, that has been its biggest flaw these last few weeks, there might be an ace in the hole. And it's falling from the sky.
In the middle of a rare September nor'easter, the east coast — including Philadelphia — is getting pummeled with rain. The Phils were able to get a rain-soaked delayed Game 161 in Saturday night, a 12-1 loss that has the morale in a bad spot with one game left to play.
But with the radar looking rainy all day Sunday, it would be shocking if the game starts on time. Or starts at all.
There could be bands of lighter, or suspended rain at some point in the afternoon, but the weather does call for essentially a 100% chance of rain all afternoon.
Meanwhile, in San Diego, the weather is immaculate and the Padres and Diamondbacks will be playing on time.
This contrast benefits the Phillies in a bevy of ways. If the Padres pull out to a big early lead, and the Phillies take the field with that knowledge, perhaps they'll be more conservative. A Diamondbacks loss lifts the Phillies to the playoffs. Starting their game later is a huge advantage.
If the Phillies game is delayed more than two hours, they might even know the final result of the game in California. If Arizona loses, Philly clinches and can save Wheeler.
If the game is postponed to Monday entirely, which does seem possible given the steady rain and the forecast, the Phillies could give Wheeler an extra day of rest. And injured second baseman Luis Arráez an extra day too.
And that raises another possibility — that the game could just not be played. In theory, if the Diamondbacks lose, and there is no window for play in Philadelphia Sunday, a Monday game that means nothing between two teams locked into their postseason seeds would have no reason to be played. Could the Phils get gifted with a shorter season?
The Phillies and their grounds crew won't be the ones making the decision (as they typically would). MLB has a contingency for that:
Rain Delays/Inclement Weather Policy: The right to postpone the playing of a game is controlled by the home club with the exception of the final series (that begins on or after June 1) between two clubs, at which time the responsibility shifts to the Umpire-in-Chief. [MLB.com]
The drama and possibilities are pretty vast, and the Phillies' own incompetence over the last few days has created a truly fascinating final day of the regular season.
It'll be a fun (or extra stressful) little side dish to Sunday's NFL action.
We'll keep you posted if anything changes, but you can be sure MLB will do everything it can to get the Phillies game in as close to 3 p.m. as possible.
SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter
Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
