After a close, back-and-forth win against the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East title, with the New York Mets officially out of reach. With 11 games left, the Phillies now set their sights on another goal: the best record in the National League.
Philadelphia trails the Milwaukee Brewers by two games for the coveted No. 1 seed. Looking to make a deep playoff run, the Phillies want to pass Milwaukee to secure home-field advantage through the NL postseason. If they do, they’ll likely finish with the best record in baseball, giving them home-field advantage in the World Series as well — should they make it there.
The Phillies have been red-hot, winning eight of their last 10 games, while Milwaukee has cooled off at 5-5 in that span, including losses in four of their last six. The Brewers close the season with series against the Padres, Reds, Cardinals and Angels — a tougher slate than Philadelphia’s.
The Phillies wrap up their series with the Dodgers before heading to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks. They’ll then return home for the final six games against the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.
If Philadelphia can survive its current West Coast road trip with steady results, it will have a strong chance to gain ground against Milwaukee with weaker opponents in the final stretch.
One caveat: Milwaukee swept Philadelphia in May, so the Brewers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same record.