The NL Wild Card race has taken a turn for the worse, as far as the Braves are concerned, over the last week. A very tough series away from home against the Philadelphia Phillies, where it felt like Atlanta should have split at the very least, cost them a lot of ground. But overall, the Braves have still been playing some pretty good baseball, bouncing back with two wins over the Rockies and winners of six of their last ten.
The problem has been everyone else. The top four teams in the NL Wild Card standings have all been playing fantastic baseball. It wasn’t long ago that the Padres were a .500 baseball team, sitting 50-50 to begin the second half of the season. They are now 80-61, three games in front of the Braves in the standings, including seven wins in their last ten games.
The Diamondbacks were also struggling to stay above .500 just a couple of months ago, starting the second half of the season with 50 wins and 48 losses. They are now 79-61, 2.5 games ahead of the Braves; however, they are an even .500 in their last ten. The Padres and the Diamondbacks meet one final time in the last series of the season, which could have significant playoff implications.
But as far as the Braves are concerned, all eyes are on the New York Mets, who sit 0.5 games behind Atlanta for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. This time last week, they were four games behind the Braves, but a seven-game win streak has helped them nearly completely erase that deficit, and it’s beginning to look like that second-to-last series at Truist Park could determine which NL East team squeaks into the postseason.
NL Wild Card Standings
- Padres (80-61)
- Diamondbacks (79-61)
- Braves (76-63)
- Mets (76-64) — 0.5 GB
- Cubs (72-68) — 4.5 GB
- Cardinals (71-69) — 5.5 GB
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This has essentially become a four-team race, with the Cubs and Cardinals hanging around with an outside shot. One of the Padres, Diamondbacks, Braves, or Mets is going to miss the postseason, and most likely, it’s going to take some well above .500 baseball for Atlanta to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
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Photo David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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