Phillies vs. Astros World Series subplots include Bryce Harper, rookie shortstops, and more

After recording the final three outs of the Phillies’ playoff-clinching victory on Oct. 3 in Houston, Zach Eflin stood at the center of a wet and wild clubhouse party and stated the ambitious goal shared by each of his teammates.

“We want to do this four more times,” he said.

Three down.

And now that the matchup is set for the 118th World Series — Phillies vs. Astros, beginning Friday night deep in the heart of Texas — the prospect of celebratory symmetry is undeniable. Three weeks after popping champagne at Minute Maid Park, the Phillies could bookend their magical October run with another sudsy soiree there.

» READ MORE: NLCS MVP Bryce Harper’s homer lifts Phillies to the World Series vs. the Astros

But first, they must dispatch the Astros, who won 106 games in the regular season and marched through the American League playoffs by sweeping the Seattle Mariners in the divisional round and the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series to win their fourth pennant in six years.

“It’s a really good team,” Bryce Harper said. “They know how to win. They’ve been there before.”

The Phillies will be heavy underdogs, which is how they seem to like it. And there are plenty of story lines to fill the five days before the World Series starts. Let’s dive on in.

Dusty Baker has managed for 25 years in the majors, and while he won a World Series as a player in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he has yet to win one as a manager. He narrowly missed out with the San Francisco Giants in 2002, losing in seven games to the Anaheim Angels, and last season came up just short again with the Astros, his team falling in six games to the Atlanta Braves.

At age 73, will the third time finally be a charm for the Astros manager?

» READ MORE: How Dave Dombrowski turned the Phillies’ stalled rebuild into World Series contention

The Phillies were the last team into the National League playoff field as a third wild card that didn’t exist before this season and yet are the only team still standing. It was impossible to watch their six-run ninth inning in Game 1 of the wild-card round in St. Louis, or their comebacks from 4-0 and 6-4 deficits in Game 4 of the NLCS, and not think they’re destined to win it all.

“They’ve got the same belief over there that we have over here,” Baker said after the Astros closed out the Yankees.

Incidentally, the Phillies interviewed Baker for their managerial vacancy before hiring Joe Girardi after the 2019 season.

How much has Harper dominated these playoffs? Phillies owner John Middleton recently texted agent Scott Boras and told him, “I’m not sure that you can say we underpaid somebody when we paid him $330 million, but I think I might have.”

The eye-popping postseason numbers: .419/.444/.907, six doubles, five home runs, 11 RBIs in 43 at-bats.

Harper may be the biggest star in all of baseball, and at last, he will get to appear on the sport’s biggest stage. He also has a connection to Baker, having played for him in Washington in 2016 and 2017. The Nationals made the playoffs in both years but were bounced in decisive fifth games in the divisional round.

» READ MORE: As he turns 30, Phillies’ Bryce Harper finally gets his wish — to play past his birthday

When the Phillies played in Houston in the final series of the regular season, Harper paid Baker a visit.

“There was a knock on my door, on the back door — and nobody knocks on the back door — and it was Bryce Harper and he came in and sat down and we talked for a long period of time,” Baker said Sunday night. “I wished him well. I didn’t know how well, but I wished him well. And he told me, hey, man, they’re going to go for it, because everybody was picking St. Louis over them.”

Héctor Neris signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent for $17,000 in 2010, made his major league debut in 2014, and later ascended to the closer role. He holds a franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever (520) and is among seven pitchers in club history to appear in at least 400 games, a list that includes Hall of Famers (Robin Roberts and Steve Carlton) and a World Series closer (Tug McGraw).

Neris was a success story of the Phillies’ rebuilding years. Now, he will try to deny them a championship.

The Phillies let Neris leave in free agency last winter. He signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Astros and has factored into Baker’s late-inning mix. In 70 regular-season games, he posted a 3.72 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 65⅓ innings. He has appeared in five of the Astros’ six postseason games and allowed one run in four innings.

By wrapping up their league championships early, both teams will get to set up their pitching rotations. And both have high-end top-of-the-rotation starters.

As long as the Phillies have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, they like their chances in a short series. Beyond that, Ranger Suárez tossed five solid innings in Game 3 of the NLCS and came out of the bullpen to close out Game 5. After lefty Bailey Falter didn’t make it out of the first inning in Game 4 against San Diego, will the Phillies revert to Noah Syndergaard for a World Series start?

» READ MORE: How will the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler react to the playoff stage? His former coach knows.

The Phillies faced the Astros’ top three starters — Cy Young Award favorite Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Lance McCullers Jr. — in the final series of the season and scored a total of one run in 16 innings. Granted, the last two games of the season were meaningless to the Phillies after they clinched a wild card spot.

The series will pit rookie shortstops Bryson Stott and Jeremy Peña, neither of whom has been overwhelmed by the moment in the postseason, against each other.

Stott has six hits, almost all in key spots. In particular, he came up with pivotal doubles against Braves flamethrower Spencer Strider in Game 3 of the divisional round and tough Padres starter Joe Musgrove in Game 3 of the NLCS. The 25-year-old has played with poise and confidence ever since the Phillies released Didi Gregorius in August and installed him as the everyday shortstop.

» READ MORE: Larry Bowa knows: Relax and play. How Phillies rookie Bryson Stott learned to show he belongs.

Peña, 25, went 6 for 17 with two doubles and two homers against the Yankees to claim ALCS MVP honors and help the Astros overcome Jose Altuve’s struggles (3 for 16). It was the continuation of an impressive rookie season in which Peña hit 22 homers and replaced Carlos Correa.

There’s enough firepower in both lineups (Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto, and Nick Castellanos for the Phillies; Yordan Álvarez, Altuve, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Trey Mancini for the Astros) that neither shortstop needs to carry the offense. But both have proven to be cool customers in the hot October spotlight.