The Phillies’ magic number to clinch the NL East is down to nine with 16 games left to play. The schedule has set up an intriguing but straightforward path: Philly has seven games remaining against the second-place Mets, meaning five wins in those matchups could effectively eliminate New York from the division race. The Mets trail by eight games, and anything short of a near-perfect finish would leave them too far behind to catch up.
Securing the top seed in the National League comes with major perks, none bigger than home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Phillies have more home wins than any other team this season, and the impact of playing at Citizens Bank Park was on full display in their playoff runs the last two Octobers.
If they can hold on to the No. 1 seed, the Phillies would earn a bye into the NLDS. Even if they slip behind the Dodgers but maintain the No. 2 spot ahead of the Brewers, they'll still skip the Wild Card round and enjoy some much-needed rest.
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Friday through Sunday.
Pitching Matchups: RHP Aaron Nola (12-7, 3.41) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (89, 4.09) on Friday at 6:40pm. TBD vs. RHP Luis Severino (10-6, 3.74) on Saturday at 4:05pm. LHP Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.33) vs. TBD on Sunday at 1:35pm.
Series: The Phillies lead the season series, 4-2. The Phillies also lead the all-time series, 552-521.
Phillies Update (88-58): The Phillies are coming off a three-game sweep of the Rays and have an eight-game lead over the Mets in the NL East. The Phillies are battling through injuries as they prepare for Friday's series opener against the Mets. Kyle Schwarber has been playing through a hyperextended left elbow, and J.T. Realmuto has been sidelined since Sept. 7 with a knee injury. Still, both are expected to be in the lineup on Friday.
One key absence, though, will be Alec Bohm. The Phillies' third baseman is on the IL with a left hand strain, cutting short what has been his best season yet. Bohm is slashing .290/.343/.462 with 13 homers and a league-leading 44 doubles.
Meanwhile, Bryce Harper hasn’t looked quite like himself. He hasn’t homered since Aug. 9, but he’s still finding ways to contribute, hitting .441/.500/.618 over his last nine games.
Despite these setbacks, the Phillies' offense remains one of the most dangerous in the league. They’re 8-2 in their last 10 games and have scored 714 runs this season, the third-most in the National League.
Mets Update (80-66): The Mets enter Friday holding a slim one-game lead over the Braves for the final NL wild-card spot with just 16 games remaining. Riding a high, they’ve matched their season-best mark, sitting 14 games above .500.
Now, the real challenge begins. The Mets open a critical series in Philadelphia against the first-place Phillies, and from here on out, they face the toughest schedule in baseball. Seven of their remaining games are against the Phillies, starting with this weekend’s three-game set at Citizens Bank Park, followed by four more next week in Queens.
In between is a three-game series at Citi Field against the Nationals, who have long been out of the playoff picture. But the Mets have struggled against the Phillies, dropping four of six meetings this season, including a complete-game shutout in May from Aaron Nola, who takes the mound again Friday.
The road gets even bumpier. They were swept by the Brewers in their only previous meeting and have split 10 games with the Braves. The silver lining? They’ve taken four of six from Washington. Since May 30, the Mets boast the best record in baseball, but their playoff fate hinges on surviving this brutal stretch.
Notable Injuries: Phillies -- RHP Spencer Turnbull (shoulder), OF Austin Hays (illness), and 3B Alec Bohm (wrist) are on the injured list.
Mets -- OF Jeff McNeil (wrist), RP Dedniel Nunez (forearm), SP Paul Blackburn (hand), SP Kodai Senga (calf), RP Sean Reid-Foley) are on the injured list.
What's Next: The Phillies will travel to Milwaukee to open a three-game set with the Brewers on Monday.
