The Braves open their final road trip of the regular season Friday – an 11-games-in-10-days excursion to San Francisco, Arizona and San Diego – with their lead in the National League East trimmed to three games.
The first-place Braves lost a half game in the standings to the second-place Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. The Braves’ scheduled game against Colorado was postponed because of a rain-soaked field at Truist Park, and the Phillies overcame a 7-0 third-inning deficit to rout the Chicago Cubs 17-8.
The Phillies whittled 1-1/2 games from the Braves’ lead on Wednesday and Thursday.
A three-game lead obviously remains an advantage for the Braves, who are 8-12 over their past 20 games, but the Phillies have a clearly easier schedule the rest of the way.
This weekend, the Braves play a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants, who have the NL’s best record, while the Phillies play three games in New York against the Mets, who are three games below .500, 5-1/2 games behind the Braves and 2-1/2 games behind the Phillies (through Thursday).
Here’s a look at how the NL East race shapes up heading into the weekend:
BRAVES (76-68)
Games remaining: 18
Games remaining against teams that currently have winning records: 10 (including completion of a suspended game against San Diego)
Combined winning percentage of remaining opponents: .488 (per Tankathon.com)
Magic number to clinch division championship: 15
Remaining schedule: three games at San Francisco (Friday-Sunday); four at Arizona (Monday-Thursday); four at San Diego (Sept. 24-26, including completion of suspended game from earlier in the season); three at home vs. Philadelphia (Sept. 28-30); three at home vs. New York Mets (Oct. 1-3); makeup game if necessary at home vs. Colorado (possibly Oct. 4).
PHILLIES (74-72, 3 games behind)
Games remaining: 16
Games remaining against winning teams: 3
Combined winning percentage of remaining opponents: .425
Remaining schedule: three games at Mets (Friday-Sunday); three at home vs. Baltimore (Monday-Wednesday); four at home vs. Pittsburgh (Thursday-Sept. 26); three at Braves (Sept. 28-30); three at Miami (Oct. 1-3).
METS (72-75, 5-1/2 games behind)
Games remaining: 15
Games remaining against winning teams: 11
Combined winning percentage of remaining opponents: .516
Remaining schedule: three games at home vs. Philadelphia (Friday-Sunday); two at Boston (Tuesday-Wednesday); three at Milwaukee (Sept. 24-26); four at home vs. Miami (Sept. 28-30); three at Braves (Oct. 1-3).
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