Fresh off of a series win in Arizona, the Atlanta Braves will head into the final stop on their road trip with a three-game series in San Diego. The Braves will also finish out the suspended game from July 19 prior to Friday’s opener. Atlanta took three of four from the Diamondbacks but will leave town with just a two-game lead after they watched a late lead slip away Thursday. Their magic number to clinch the NL East is down to nine and a strong finish to this road trip would bolster their playoff chances.
National League East
Braves 80-71 (.530), —
Phillies 79-74 (.516), 2.0 GB
Mets 73-79 (.480), 7.5 GB
Despite taking three of four in Arizona, the Braves will leave town with the same two-game lead that they began the series with. The Phillies took two of three from Baltimore and then rallied late for a 12-6 win against Pittsburgh Thursday in a game they trailed 5-0 in. Atlanta is 5-5 over its last 10 games while the Phillies have gone 7-3. The Mets have gone 2-8 over their last 10 games and are now 7.5 games out and there season is largely over.
Playoff Odds
The Braves latest playoff odds according to FanGraphs took a hit with Thursday’s loss but they have increased since the start of the series. Atlanta is now at 75.4% to make the playoffs and 75% to win the division. With two games on the schedule for the Braves Friday, we could see some considerable movement.
Win Division
Braves: 75.0%
Phillies: 25.0%
Mets: 0.0%
Make Playoffs
Braves: 75.4%
Phillies: 25.7%
Mets: 0.0%
NL Wild Card
Dodgers 98-55 (.641), — (Clinched spot in postseason)
Cardinals 83-69 (.546), —
Phillies 79-74 (.516) 4.5 GB
Reds 78-75 (.510), 5.5 GB
Padres 77-75 (.507) 6.0, GB
Mets 73-79 (.480), 10.0 GB
The Cardinals are the story in the Wild Card race as they have won 12 straight games to take control of the final wild card spot. The Phillies have won three straight but are 4.5 back of St. Louis. Cincinnati picked a bad time to go in the tank as they playoff chances are slipping away each day. San Diego, who was the talk of the league for a large stretch of this season, is now just two games above .500 after a disastrous stretch has derailed their playoff hopes. This weekend’s series against the Braves is crucial for them if they hope to stay in the race.