Phils' Wild Card Hopes...

I just finished watching the Dodgers score 2 in the 9th to stun the Cardinals. What it does, besides LA and St. Louis now being tied for the last NL Wild Card position, is keep the Phillies within 3 games despite the Phils' disgraceful two losses against the putrid, worst-record-in-baseball Houston Astros.

I hate to say it, but although there seemed to be real hope going into Thursday, I think the Phils' chances of pulling off the miraculous comeback are almost dead now. They're a game behind the Pirates and a half-game behind the Brewers, thanks to those two losses to Houston. So with 16 games left, the Phils are back to having to pass four teams in the standings. And after St. Louis leaves LA, they have a week of games against those same lowly Astros (who just managed to beat the Phillies twice) and the almost-as-bad Cubs.

I do think it would be fun to see the Phils sneak in as the second Wild Card, beat Atlanta in the single-game Wild Card round and then beat Washington (if the Nats finish with the league's best record) in the Division Series, thus "winning" the National League East despite finishing in third place. But with each day (and each loss to Houston...notice how I keep harping on that? You can't lose to the worst team in baseball, you just CAN'T) it seems more unlikely.