On September 4th, it appeared that the National League Wild Card Race was coming down to four teams. The Braves and Cardinals held down the top two spots, as they do today, and the competition appeared thin. The Dodgers and Pirates were within 2.5 games, and no one else was within 7 games. That was eight days ago. Things can change quickly in this game.
The Padres completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals today, winning 3-2. With the loss, St. Louis has now dropped six games in the seven contests since September 4th. The Phillies and Brewers, meanwhile, have caught fire. Even though both teams seemingly gave up at the trade deadline, flipping Zack Greinke, Shane Victorino, and Hunter Pence to “contenders,” they are now playing their best baseball of the season. The Phillies have won seven games in a row, and Milwauke has won 18 of their last 23. Both of these streaking clubs are now only three games behind our beloved Cardinals, and the Pirates and Dodgers are still very much in the picture. Over the next three weeks, these five teams will jockey for position and one team will emerge for the right to play in the post-season. Stay tuned.
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Written by David Gorsky
I'm a lifelong sports fan with a particular interest in baseball. I'm a proponent of using SABRmetrics to find a player's true value. I recently graduated from the University of Virginia and I'm ready to start my career in sports media. I can be reached at davidgorsky(at)outlook.com.
