Is it just us, or does it seem like nobody wants the third National League Wild Card spot?
The race for that final two playoff spots is down to three teams, the San Diego Padres, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the vast majority of the month of September, the Phillies have had control over their playoff destiny, even holding the second NL Wild Card spot for a time.
But recently, they’ve been sliding a bit and have fallen into the third spot.
Not only that, but the Brewers have inched to within a half-game of the Phils.
The Phillies were swept by the Chicago Cubs yesterday, which gave the Brewers a chance to take control of the Wild Card spot.
However, their bullpen faltered against the Miami Marlins, and they missed their chance.
Stumbling to the finish line:
The San Diego #Padres, Milwaukee #Brewers and #Philadelphia #Phillies all lose in battle for the final two NL wild-card spots.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 30, 2022
Phils Catch A Break
One thing is for sure.
The Phillies got a big break last night.
They got extremely lucky.
They’ve lost five in a row and were just swept by a lowly team.
At the same time, the Brewers had the perfect opportunity to take control of the final Wild Card spot and may have blown their chance.
Now, the Phillies head into Washington D.C. for a crucial four-game set against the Washington Nationals.
But it’s almost like both teams are blowing their playoff chances simultaneously.
The same could be said for the Padres, who hold the second spot but have lost two straight games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Brewers at least appeared to have a little momentum on their side after a win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
But when you blow a lead late to a team like the Marlins, it can be somewhat deflating.
It’s an exciting race for sure, but it’s a race between teams that aren’t exactly playing their best baseball at the worst possible time.
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