Padres can't afford to drop a game against this sort of competition. The Friars are in a competition with Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Philly for one of the 2 bottom wild card invites. One of the central teams gets the division, the Barves look like the first wild card. One of SD/Central runner-up/Phillies doesn't make the playoffs. It's possible the Giants or another team makes a run, or the Barves fade, but unlikely.
Records of the 2nd / 3rd WC vs. Nats
Mil - 3-3
PHI - 2-10
SD - 0-0
StL - 1-2
So far, Phillies have picked up 8 games, and have another 7 games with the Nats. For the non-division team, SD has a chance to make up 3 games on Milwaukee if the Padres sweep us.
The Barves are no longer a lock for the first wild card methinks although they beat up on your SAWX the past two nights. They are only up two in the loss column on the Phillies. So really not much ahead of any of the others you mentioned. I think the Brewers will be the odd team out. But hoping it’s the Cards. One 90 win team will not make it.
It’s early but the Phillies seem to have that 2019 Nats vibe. Schwarber seems to have become the team’s emotional leader. And now they have been further unified by a freak Keith Hernandez movement. Last night they were down 2-0 to Alcantara who needed few pitches to make it to the 8th still ahead. They strung together a bunch of singles and even a baserunning blunder from Marsh could not stop them. Scherzer and Degrom up this weekend in NY.
