Welp, that sucked. Phillies lose 2-1 in Atlanta and honestly, it should have been 2-0 shutout. So now with 5 games left to play the Phillies’ elimination number is down to 3. Not ideal. Aaron Nola will step to the mound tomorrow and try to right a season of underwhelming performances. So let’s take a look at all the possible scenarios for this series and what they mean for the Phillies playoff hopes.
Woe is the Philadelphia fan. #Phillies pic.twitter.com/oNDJZ7FQAb
— patrick larkin (@patricklarkin) September 29, 2021
Atlanta sweeps: Pretty easy, if Aaron Nola continues to be awful in big spots and Gibson doesn’t show up Thursday, it’s over. Braves will have clinched their 4th straight division title. Looking more and more like a possibility.
Phillies take 1 or 2: This will all but clinch it for Atlanta too. The elimination number for the Phillies would be 1. Meaning if the Phillies lose any game vs the Marlins OR the Braves win any of their 3 vs the Mets plus 1 make up bs the Rockies. It would also be over.
Phillies take 2 of 3: This is the only scenario that provides even a remote chance of the Phillies making it to the postseason. The elimination number would still be 3 but with the Braves having that extra game in hand, they would still control their own destiny. Phillies could go on a 5 game win streak to end the season and still miss the playoffs. That would be about as Philadelphia as it comes.
All in all, tomorrow Aaron Nola is either going to finish his awful season out with a crushing loss or he finally steps up when this team needs him. I don’t want to sound like a negative nancy but Nola instills zero confidence. Might have to chalk it up as another year wasted for a guy that is going to win the MVP. Tough.