Finishing Strong
The Phillies entered September in good standing for the final month of the regular season. Entering Monday, they held a six-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East, with both teams having 25 remaining games. The Phillies are not only in the running for the division title, but are looking to earn a first-round bye for the playoffs.
The top two division winners will earn a first-round bye.
While some suggest that those byes hurt teams that aren’t involved in the best-of-three wild card series because they get out of rhythm with what is likely five days off, anytime a team can save wear and tear on its pitching staff, they should take that opportunity.
Entering the month, the Milwaukee Brewers were 85-53 and would need a near total collapse to not earn the top seed. The real intrigue then comes for the battle for No. 2.
The Phillies took a 79-58 record into the month of September. Assuming that Milwaukee will earn the top seed, that would eliminate the Chicago Cubs from contention for a bye because they would finish second to the Brewers in the Central Division.
So, that pits the Phillies against the teams from the National League West.
The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers entered September 78-59, one game behind the Phillies. The San Diego Padres were 76-61, two games behind the Dodgers.
In case of a tie, the winner of the season-series will earn the higher seed.
The Phillies have already lost the season series with the Mets, having gone 2-7 with four games left.
Against the Dodgers, the Phillies are 2-1 with three games remaining.
The Phillies were 3-3 against San Diego with no more games remaining.
Here are the final schedules for the Phillies, Mets, Dodgers and Padres.
Philadelphia Phillies (25 games)
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At Milwaukee (3); at Miami (3); vs NY Mets (4); vs Kansas City (3); at LA Dodgers (3); at Arizona (3); vs Miami (3); vs Minnesota (3).
Of these teams, the Phillies had 13 games against teams within 5 games of a playoff berth. The two biggest series are against the Mets, who as any Phillies fan knows, swept the Phillies last week in New York, only to lose three of four to Miami, and the Dodgers. That three-game series later this month in Los Angeles should have a playoff atmosphere as both teams could be battling for that second playoff bye.
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At Milwaukee (3); at Miami (3); vs NY Mets (4); vs Kansas City (3); at LA Dodgers (3); at Arizona (3); vs Miami (3); vs Minnesota (3).
Of these teams, the Phillies had 13 games against teams within 5 games of a playoff berth. The two biggest series are against the Mets, who as any Phillies fan knows, swept the Phillies last week in New York, only to lose three of four to Miami, and the Dodgers. That three-game series later this month in Los Angeles should have a playoff atmosphere as both teams could be battling for that second playoff bye.
New York Mets (25 games)
At Detroit (3); at Cincinnati (3); at Phillies (4); vs. Texas (3); vs San Diego (3); vs. Washington (3); at Chicago Cubs (3); at Miami (3).
The good news is that the Mets have won the season series against the Phillies and Dodgers. The bad news is that the Mets appear too far back to catch the Phillies in the standings to make it matter. The Mets also have 19 of their 25 games left against teams who began September within five games of a playoff spot.
At Detroit (3); at Cincinnati (3); at Phillies (4); vs. Texas (3); vs San Diego (3); vs. Washington (3); at Chicago Cubs (3); at Miami (3).
The good news is that the Mets have won the season series against the Phillies and Dodgers. The bad news is that the Mets appear too far back to catch the Phillies in the standings to make it matter. The Mets also have 19 of their 25 games left against teams who began September within five games of a playoff spot.
LA Dodgers (25 games)
At Pittsburgh (3); at Baltimore (3); vs Colorado (3); at San Francisco (3); vs. Phillies (3); vs. San Francisco (4); at Arizona (3); at Seattle (3).
Since San Francisco began the months five games back in the wild card race, the Giants qualify in our list of teams contending for a playoff spot, but they are on the fringe at best. Still, with that as a backdrop, the Dodgers have 13 games against playoff contenders, but their first nine games of the month are against three teams that are languishing in the standings.
At Pittsburgh (3); at Baltimore (3); vs Colorado (3); at San Francisco (3); vs. Phillies (3); vs. San Francisco (4); at Arizona (3); at Seattle (3).
Since San Francisco began the months five games back in the wild card race, the Giants qualify in our list of teams contending for a playoff spot, but they are on the fringe at best. Still, with that as a backdrop, the Dodgers have 13 games against playoff contenders, but their first nine games of the month are against three teams that are languishing in the standings.
San Diego Padres (25 games)
Home vs Baltimore (3); at Colorado (3); vs. Cincinnati (3); vs. Colorado (3); at NY Mets (3); at Chicago (3); vs Milwaukee (3); vs. Arizona (3).
The schedule gets progressively harder by the end of the month, but by the time San Diego plays Milwaukee, the Brewers could have already clinched the No. 1 seed and won’t have much to play for. Then again, teams like Colorado, in which the Padres face six more times, might have young players looking to prove themselves for next year. Still, we doubt the Padres are complaining about six more games with Colorado. San Diego has 12 games against teams that began the month within five of a playoff berth.
Home vs Baltimore (3); at Colorado (3); vs. Cincinnati (3); vs. Colorado (3); at NY Mets (3); at Chicago (3); vs Milwaukee (3); vs. Arizona (3).
The schedule gets progressively harder by the end of the month, but by the time San Diego plays Milwaukee, the Brewers could have already clinched the No. 1 seed and won’t have much to play for. Then again, teams like Colorado, in which the Padres face six more times, might have young players looking to prove themselves for next year. Still, we doubt the Padres are complaining about six more games with Colorado. San Diego has 12 games against teams that began the month within five of a playoff berth.
Photo: Phillies' Jesus Luzardo / Marc Narducci
Author: Marc Narducci
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