The Philadelphia Phillies, it appears, just don’t want to go to the playoffs.
On Thursday, they lost 2-0 against the lowly Chicago Cubs.
It was the Phils’ 10th loss in their last 13 games, and they are evidently collapsing right before our eyes.
Philadelphia was dominated by rookie Javier Assad, who pitched five scoreless innings.
They couldn’t even touch the Cubs bullpen: the Phillies offense was completely non-existent in this one.
It was a truly embarrassing performance that severely complicates their playoffs chances.
“And now we have a tie for the final postseason spot,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
And now we have a tie for the final postseason spot pic.twitter.com/vpnFuYDGXy
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 29, 2022
Both the Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers, the other team with realistic chances of qualifying, have an 83-72 record.
Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker, but the bad news don’t end there for the Phillies.
Milwaukee Can Pass Philadelphia Later On Thursday
The Brewers play later today, at 7:40 ET against the already eliminated Miami Marlins.
Braxton Garrett will take the mound for Miami, and Eric Lauer will do the same for the Brewers.
If Milwaukee wins, they will leapfrog the Phillies in the quest for that last Wild Card spot, by half a game.
The Brewers haven’t exactly been the model of consistency as of late either, with a 5-5 record over their last ten games.
The Phillies’ downfall has allowed them to re-enter the race, and they will want to take advantage of a unique opportunity.
Who will make the postseason, the Phillies or the Brewers?
In a matter of days, one of them will be heading to October, and unless the San Diego Padres completely collapse, the other one will be returning home to watch the playoffs on TV.
NEXT: The Phillies Are In Danger Of Losing Their Playoff Spot