Let’s not get too crazy, the Philadelphia Phillies are sitting in an advantageous position with the World Series tied at one heading to South Philly on Monday. They are undefeated, 5-0, at The Bank and they’ve stolen home field from the Houston Astros.

That should not be understated.

But they’ve done it with both ace’s pitching well below expectations. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler allowed 5-runs each in less than 10-total innings pitched in Game 1 and Game 2. This forced Phillies manager Rob Thomson to get creative with the bullpen, and by extension, the starting rotation.

This isn’t sustainable if the Phillies want a parade down Broad St in the next week or so. And now, thanks to the lackluster performances by Nola and Wheeler, the Fightin’s will be forced to go deeper into their pitching staff as the World Series hurdles towards critical mass.

There is no margin for error heading into Game 3 and Game 4 with Noah Syndergaard and Ranger Suarez on the mound.