Padres pitcher Blake Snell gives the Phillies even more bulletin-board material

San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell gave the Phillies even more bulletin-board material should they need it ahead of Game 5.

Ahead 3-1 in the best-of-7 series, the Phils don’t need much motivation to win on Sunday. Yet, thanks to Snell, Rob Thomson’s group has received just that.

Thomson, formerly an interim manager, has exceeded expectations in his first year in Philadelphia. When this team fired Joe Girardi, few assumed they’d even make the playoffs, let alone be one game away from a World Series appearance.

The raw power in Philly’s lineup, as well as a top-heavy rotation featuring two of the best in the National League in Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. The bullpen, headlined by Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado, has been good enough to get by in the postseason.

Padres pitcher Blake Snell gives Phillies a jolt

Blake Snell insists that the pressure is on the Phils to close things out at their ballpark, despite the Friars being down 3-1 in the series.

“All of the pressure is on them. We know they don’t want to go to San Diego,” Snell said.

Uh…you sure about that? The Phillies already won a game in front of the ruckus Padres crowd at Petco Park. There’s no reason they can’t do so again, especially with their best pitchers in tow.

Snell has been here before, just with a different team. His Rays made the World Series a few years back. The postseason is not new to him

Perhaps he ought to act like it, and take matters one game at a time. Snell is set to throw a Game 6, should there be one.