Phillies Control Their October Destiny as NL Playoff Race Tightens

by Josh Gordon

With less than two months remaining in the regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies have reached the point where the standings deserve almost as much attention as the games themselves.

The good news is that Philadelphia remains firmly positioned for postseason baseball. The less comfortable news is that there are plenty of teams close enough to change that.

Following Friday night’s 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Phillies entered Saturday, August 8, with a 62-55 record. Philadelphia sits second in the National League East behind the Atlanta Braves, who have opened a substantial lead at 70-46. The Phillies are 8½ games behind Atlanta with 45 games remaining.