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For at least one day, the Atlanta Braves stopped the bleeding with a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants to avoid a sweep and snap a four-game losing streak. Thanks to Philadelphia’s 3-2 loss in New York, the Braves’ lead in the NL East is back to two full games. Atlanta’s road trip will continue with a four-game series in Arizona that begins Monday night. The Phillies will return home where they will begin a seven-game homestand with a three-game series against the Orioles.
National League East
Braves 77-70 (.524), —
Phillies 76-73 (.510), 2.0 GB
Mets 73-77 (.487), 5.5 GB
The division race has tightened further and the Braves avoided complete disaster with a win Sunday. Philadelphia’s homestand begins with the Orioles and finishes with a four-game series against Pittsburgh. So, they will have an opportunity to keep the pressure on Atlanta. The Braves need to take care of business against a Diamondbacks team that is 48-101 on the season.
Playoff Odds
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FanGraphs latest playoff odds have the Braves at 72.6% to win the division and 74.7% to make the playoffs. The Phillies are at 26.9% for the division and 30.8% to make the playoffs. However, as you can see from the graph above, things can change significantly over a matter of days. Atlanta’s magic number to clinch the division is currently 13.
Win Division
Braves: 72.6%
Phillies: 26.9%
Mets: 0.5%
Make Playoffs
Braves: 74.7%
Phillies: 30.8%
Mets: 0.5%
NL Wild Card
Dodgers 96-54 (.640), — (Clinched spot in postseason)
Cardinals 79-69 (.534), —
Reds 77-73 (.513) 3.0 GB
Phillies 76-73 (.510), 3.5 GB
Padres 76-73 (.510) 3.5, GB
Mets 73-77 (.487), 7.0 GB
There has been further separation in the NL Wild Card race as the Cardinals have tightened their grip on the final playoff spot thanks to an eight-game winning streak. The Reds have gone 3-7 over their last 10 and the Padres are just 2-8 over that same span. That sets the stage for a pretty critical series between the Braves and the Padres coming up this weekend.