Have you ever played a video game with a near impossible boss fight right at the beginning? It’s a fight you’re designed to lose but there’s just enough room for you to maybe get lucky before you get crushed. The point is that you get to witness the power of the final boss right at the beginning so that when you meet again at the end of the game after you’ve leveled up and gained more experience, you know what you’re in for and it’s all the more satisfying when you finally get your revenge.
That’s a little like what the Phillies will be doing this weekend.