PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins was nearing the major leagues in the fall of 2016, so surely he was tuned in that October to the World Series.
But if the Phillies first baseman needs a refresher of how the Cubs traveled to Cleveland to win Games 6 and 7 on the road — a difficult feat that the Phillies will try to match this weekend in Houston — Hoskins can simply turn to his right in the clubhouse and ask Kyle Schwarber.
“I’m sure we’ll have conversations over the next 24, 48 hours about that,” Hoskins said. “I’m sure he’ll tell stories and it’ll be great to hear about that. Any experience we can get to feel more prepared going into Game 6 here is going to be big.”
Schwarber had four hits in those two games as the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years. They became just one of eight teams to win a World Series by taking the final two games on the road. His single in the 10th inning of Game 7 led to the eventual winning run.
For the Phillies, a daunting task can feel a bit more tangible when someone in the same room already did it.
“We know that this is a one-game-at-a-time thing. This was never a big-picture thing and it wasn’t back then, either,” Schwarber said. “This is one game at a time. Now we just have to win two games in a row. We’re going to have to focus on this first game here in Game 6 and try to win, then we’ll go from there. We’re going to be confident. We’re going to be resilient like we have been all year. We believe in ourselves.”
The Phillies have shown their resolve in the last four weeks by forcing their way to the World Series after advancing to the postseason as the National League’s lowest seed. They have played just eight home games since Sept. 25 so the Phils are no stranger this postseason to being on the road.
“No one said this was easy,” Schwarber said. “We’ve overcome a lot of things throughout the course of this year to be in this position. I think when we get there [to Game 6] you’re going to see a really resilient club and we’re going to play until the very end and we’re going to see where it takes us. It’s going to take everything. It’s going to take everyone. We’re excited. Trust me. Sure, it’s frustrating, but we’re also very excited.”
No playoff team won fewer games on the road during the regular season than the Phillies, who finished with a 40-41 record away from South Philly. They won five of their eight road postseason games — including two straight at Busch Stadium — but they didn’t win two straight on the road during the regular season against a winning team after July 9.
Now they have to do it against the 106-win American League champs.
“We’ve faced adversity all year,” right fielder Nick Castellanos said. “What a better storybook ending than if we can go there and win this in Game 7?”
The Phillies trailed both games this series in Houston by five runs but they showed mettle in Game 1 by clawing their way to a 10-inning win. That night, Hoskins said, shows they can win in Houston.
“Just have to win,” said J.T. Realmuto, whose home run won Game 1. “Have to win two ballgames. That’s all it comes down to. This team has been resilient all season long. I don’t think anyone is going to have their heads down. Obviously, it’s a tall task, but we’ve won two games in a row a lot of times this season.”
The Phillies will turn Saturday to their No. 1 pitcher. Zack Wheeler does not seem to be the same pitcher he was a week ago when manager Rob Thomson said the right-hander was fatigued. They’ll try again to crack Framber Valdez, who stymied them into the seventh inning in Game 2.
“Anytime that you get more at-bats off of a pitcher, you become more familiar with him and all of the tendencies,” Castellanos said. “We’re definitely going to be more prepared. The more times that you can take a test, the better chances you have at getting a good test score, right?”
If the Phillies win Saturday, history is on their side as the last four Game 7s have been won by road teams. But getting to Sunday could be tough.
“We know the type of talent in this room. We know the type of resiliency in this room,” Hoskins said. “We’ve had our backs up against the wall plenty of times this season. I don’t see why we won’t come out swinging.”
Schwarber’s Cubs faced longer odds in 2016: They trailed that World Series, 3-1, before winning the final three games. But the Houston pitchers the Phillies face this weekend — Cristian Javier, who tossed the first six innings of Wednesday’s no-hitter, could pitch Game 7 — make this task feel just as daunting.
“We definitely feel like we can do it,” Realmuto said. “When I say it’s a tall task, I just mean they’re a good team over there and it’s not going to be easy. But everyone in this clubhouse has confidence in ourselves and we believe that we can go win two games.”
The Cubs aren’t the only team the Phils can lean on as the Washington Nationals went to Houston in 2019 to win Game 6 and 7 to close out the series. Atlanta clinched the World Series last year by winning Game 6 in Houston. Even the 1980 Phillies won back-to-back elimination games in the Astrodome to secure the pennant. It’s happened before, right?
“It’s happened before,” Castellanos said.
