Phillies And Their Playoff Hopes Head To Final Weekend Of Season

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies enter the final weekend of the regular season fighting for their playoff lives. They're hoping to snap a nearly decade-long postseason drought by earning one of the slots in 2020's expanded playoff format, which allows eight teams in each league to qualify instead of the usual five.

They have three games left to do it: Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. All three are down in Tampa Bay against the American League-leading Rays. Under most of the possible scenarios, the Phillies probably need to win at least two of the three games to clinch a playoff berth.

The bad news is that the Phillies are one of five teams within a game and a half of only three available playoff spots. 2020's COVID-19 altered format has the top two teams in all three divisions earning a spot, while the teams with the next two best records earn the final seven and eight seeds as wild cards. As of Friday afternoon, here's where all of the National League contenders stand:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West), 40-17
2. Atlanta Braves (1st in NL East), 34-23
3. Chicago Cubs (1st in NL Central), 32-25
4. San Diego Padres (2nd in NL West), 34-22
5. St. Louis Cardinals (2nd in NL Central), 28-26
6. Miami Marlins (2nd in NL East), 29-28
7. Cincinnati Reds (1st Wild Card), 29-28
8. San Francisco Giants (2nd Wild Card), 28-28
9. Phillies, 28-29
10. Milwaukee Brewers, 27-29

The Phillies could still edge out the Marlins, who they trail by one game, for second in the NL East. But the Marlins hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies after winning the regular season series.

The Phillies could also get a wild card. They trail the Reds by a game and the Giants by half a game. The Reds hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies, while the Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Giants.

Just as important as Phillies wins the next three days are Giants, Reds, and Marlins losses. A bit of good news: all three of those teams are playing formidable opponents.

• The Reds have three games against AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins
• The Giants have four games against the San Diego Padres
• The Marlins have three games against the New York Yankees

So for three days at least, all Phillies fans are Twins, Padres, and Yankees fans.

Vince Velasquez will take the mound for the Phillies Friday night, followed by co-aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. That means that if the Phillies do make the playoffs, neither of their top pitchers would be available for the first game of the best of three series in the opening round. Right Zach Eflin, who has been stellar recently, would get the ball for game one next Wednesday, Sept. 30.