Phillies Magic Number and NL Postseason Seed Thread

LoneStarPhan 2024-09-25 04:57:17 UTC #165

Padres take a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th.

Dodgers start off with 3 consecutive hits, make it 4-2, with runners on first and second, no outs.

Then:

Triple Play
Miguel Rojas grounds into a triple play, third baseman Manny Machado to second baseman Jake Cronenworth to first baseman Donovan Solano. Tommy Edman out at 3rd. Enrique Hernández out at 2nd. Miguel Rojas out at 1st. 3 Outs

Padres win, 4-2.

mdougherty12 2024-09-25 05:04:52 UTC #166

Ohtani was on deck when Rojas hit into the game-ending TP, and Rojas had squared to bunt on the first pitch but took a strike.

If the Padres can pull off the sweep in LA, they would be tied for the division lead and own the tiebreaker going into the final weekend.

LoneStarPhan 2024-09-25 05:09:37 UTC #167

Some excitement this final week of the regular season. I am rooting for the Phillies to win some games starting with the final game of the Cubs series. A couple wins and they should hold on of the top two slots. Let's hope for a 4-game win streak from the Phillies to end the season and launch into the post season leading to the World Series title. No better time to win it all than this season.

xogfog 2024-09-25 06:18:05 UTC #168

So since the Yankees and Dodgers lost, Phillies still have a shot at best record in baseball, hence homefield throughout, that is what they have been aiming for, thankfully no fifth starter the rest of the way. Play to win these next four, there is plenty of rest between the end of the season and the first series they'll have to play.

Aquapong 2024-09-25 11:49:52 UTC #169

Just in case, we have the tiebreaker over SD too.

zambonir 2024-09-25 12:43:02 UTC #170

It's truly impossible to project or control at this point, other than, lock up that bye. Murphy wrote a whole column today arguing that the 2nd seed is the clear preference but that's based on things that may or may not actually happen with the 5 and 6 seeds (to say nothing of the NL West vs. 4, even if that's still a longer shot).

Philsmania 2024-09-25 14:54:36 UTC #171

The plot thickens in both the NL East (wild card race) and NL West (division). Seattle could use a hot streak to pass the sinking Twins and Royals.

Heck of a final weekend coming up.

Royals @ Braves with implications for both NL and AL wild card races, two teams playing for their lives.
Padres @ Diamondbacks with implications for possibly both the NL West and NL wildcard as well as potential wild card round preview as the two teams just might keep on playing each other next week, albeit in San Diego.
Mets @ Brewers with implications for NL wildcard and possibly NL bye and also a possible Postseason preview with the Mets staying in Milwaukee for a few more days. Noting that Diamondbacks need to finish second in the wild card race and Mets need to finish third for each team play the same team in the final weekend and the wild card round.
Astros @ Guardians, potential ALCS preview while Guardians push for AL homefield advantage (1 game behind the Yankees)
Orioles @ Twins, AL wild card implications plus another potential wild card round preview with the two teams shifting to Baltimore for the wild card round, if the Twins manage to surge past the Royals and Tigers (Tigers hit the lottery with the White Sox).
Phillies and Dodgers both play also-rans (Nationals and Rockies respectively) as they see which one comes out with the NL homefield advantage.

el-pietro 2024-09-25 17:37:59 UTC #172

The Mets and Braves are likely going to have to play a DH on the Monday after the regular season ends which could have implications for both of them and the Dbacks

zambonir 2024-09-25 18:07:30 UTC #173

Those are make-up games? That is wild.

andyb 2024-09-25 18:15:27 UTC #174

Looks like rain in the forecast in Atlanta the next 48 hours. They really should just go to Miami and play 2 there tomorrow under the dome. No games have been postponed yet.

zambonir 2024-09-25 18:19:25 UTC #175

oh, got it, these particular games. a hurricane, even, right? (some concerts I know about were already postponed in GA). is the football stadium available? Gotta think they will try like hell to just get one in and then maybe another won't be needed by Sunday.

but I'd watch the heck out of it.

zambonir 2024-09-25 22:16:20 UTC #176

Glad this doesn't affect us really. Also means the Mets no longer have the luxury of finishing the season in Milwaukee and staying there. Would be something if these games determined the 5th seed though and then they winner had to fly west. Also messes with their pitching.

zambonir 2024-09-25 23:50:42 UTC #177

I bet Rowdy Tellez would have put Pittsburgh over on the Brewers.

zambonir 2024-09-26 00:53:54 UTC #178

Phils win, Brewers lose

el-pietro 2024-09-26 00:54:16 UTC #179

Phillies win
Brewers lose
We have the bye! All that's left is the number 1 seed and home field advantage!

bkeich 2024-09-26 01:19:14 UTC #180

Go for #1. Not kill ourselves to get it, but no reason not to play at home against the Dodgers.

Give everyone at least 1 game off. Pull starters early.

zambonir 2024-09-26 02:46:21 UTC #181

That's obviously the goal. And surely they can win two against the Nats, even on the road. Rest is up to the Dodgers. Or Padres.

But of course we still don't know that the West winner will come out of the NLDS.

The bye means there's no harm in pushing for it, but home field in the NLCS is no good if we're #1 and lose to the Padres before even getting there when the Brewers or the 6 seed might be easier. Just no way to know any of it for sure.

bkeich 2024-09-26 03:02:17 UTC #182

1 Seed Magic Number: 4.

Phillies have 3 games left, Dodgers 5. It actually is in the Dodgers hands, they can win out and there is nothing the Phillies can do. But, 1 loss and we are in the drivers seat.

xogfog 2024-09-26 08:32:59 UTC #183

Well the good news is the Yankees lost, so regardless if the Phillies finish behind the Dodgers, if the Phillies win out they would have home field advantage in the World Series.

zambonir 2024-09-26 11:39:12 UTC #184

Not sure I expect the team that just went 1-2 and 1-3 in their last two road series to win out away. We swept the Nats at home once but have lost one in DC and one in Philly the other times.

But no reason to think the other teams will win out either. Hoping for Astros or Orioles in the WS anyway.