Wildcard and Division Standings update

by jack dein on Aug 24, 2009 5:38 PM EDT Comment 21 comments

We'll start in the NL East. Only 3 teams still have a shot at winning the division with the Mets and Nationals out of it.

The Phillies are currently 72-50 with a 7 game lead of the Braves and a 8 game lead of the Marlins. Their remaining schedule is 3 at Pittsburgh (51-71), 3 vs. Atlanta (66-58), 3 vs. San Francisco (67-57), 4 at Houston (61-63), 3 at Washington (44-80), 3 vs. New York (57-68), 3 vs. Washington (44-80), 3 at Atlanta (66-58), 3 at Florida (65-59), 4 at Milwaukee (60-63), 4 vs. Houston (61-63), and 3 vs. Florida (65-59).

The Braves currently 66-58 7 games back in the division race and 4 games back of Colorado and 3 back of San Francisco in the Wild Card standings. Their remaining schedule is 3 vs. San Diego (52-74), 3 at Philidelphia (72-50), 4 at Florida (65-59), 3 vs. Cincinnati (52-71), 3 at Houston (61-63), 3 at St. Louis (72-54), 3 vs. New York (57-68), 3 vs. Phillidelphia (72-50), 3 at New York (57-68), 3 at Washington (44-80), 3 vs. Florida (65-59), and 4 vs. Washington (44-80).

The Marlins are currently 65-59, 8 games back in the division race and 5 games back in the Wild Card. Their remaining schedule is 3 vs. New York (57-68), 3 vs. San Diego (52-74), 4 vs. Atlanta (66-58), 3 at Washington (44-80), 3 at New York (57-68), 3 vs. Washington (44-80), 3 at St. Louis (72-54), 4 at Cincinnati (52-71), 3 vs. Philidelphia (72-50), 3 vs. New York (57-68), 3 at Atlanta (66-58), and 3 at Philidelphia (72-50).

The Rockies have 23 home games against the Giants, Dodgers, Mets, Diamondbacks, Reds, Padres, Cardinals, and Brewers. They 15 road games left against the Giants, Padres, Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

The Giants have 22 home games against the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Padres, Dodgers, Rockies, Cubs, and Diamondbacks. The have 16 road games against the Rockies, Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres.

You can make your own prediction of who you think will win the Wild Card and NL East. I think the NL East is wrapped up. The Phillies and playing good and have a big lead with only 40 games left. The Wild Card I think will come down to the Braves and Rockies. The Braves have been playing very good lately but have 4 games to make up on the Rockies and have a much tougher schedule. I think it will be close but the Rockies will win it just because their remaining games aren't that bad.

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I think Olney has our best shot at getting to the playoffs

Esteban (DC)

Mr Olney,Almost nobody seems to be mentioning the braves, but they have a more favorable schedule than other teams down the stretch in the wild card race. If their starters continue to pitch solid 6 innings, the bullpen remains rested and somewhat solid, and if the offense can somehow continue to show power and score enough runs, do you really think they can win the wild card?
Buster Olney (12:56 PM)

Esteban: Agree with you about the schedule, and they probably have the best starting pitching in the league right now, but you still wonder if they have enough time to make up the deficit, with Lee throwing as well as he is for the Phillies and the Rockies performing so well. I wonder if their best hope would be a total collapse by the Dodgers, so that the Rockies would win the West and the Braves would slide in as the wildcard… We shall see.

check out Olney’s chat by the way, he almost seems a closet Braves fan: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/27981/mlb-with-buster-olney

Yunel is the Queen of Hearts

by GoBravesNY on Aug 24, 2009 6:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

There’s probably at least as much chance of the Rox falling off, especially considering the lead the Dodgers have. They’re in a rut, but it’s not like they don’t have a great team still.

Mat Gamel is way too cool for double consonants.

by VivaLosBravos on Aug 24, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the Dodgers are only up 3 1/2 games…

7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney

REMEMBER THAT BOYS.

by mvhsbball on Aug 24, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not at all, Colorado’s pitching has been surprisingly good but is not destined to fall off and their hitting is great. They might not win the division but that would be a result of the dodgers righting the ship not the rockies falling off

by McCann's the Man on Aug 24, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Losing Aaron Cook will hurt.

by Yakker on Aug 24, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it certainly will and i think that opens the race up even more but their pitching has been excellent this year, it’s not just cook. I actually think the rockies will pass the dodgers and win the west

by McCann's the Man on Aug 24, 2009 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree

It’s not just Cook, and when you consider that they lost their #1 for the whole season (Francis), it’s pretty remarkable what Apodeca has done with that staff.

by Yakker on Aug 25, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

nobody honestly expected francis to be the 1 imo, that fell to jiminez but if francis was added in as the fifth guy to ubaldo, cook, marquis, and de la rosa that’d be scary

by McCann's the Man on Aug 25, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Francis was their preseason #1 the way Lowe was the Braves preseason #1.

Jiminez wasn’t even on the radar as their #1. Cook started Opening Day.

by Yakker on Aug 25, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They've won 2/3 of their August games

I doubt they keep that up for the duration.

Mat Gamel is way too cool for double consonants.

by VivaLosBravos on Aug 24, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt they keep up that pace but a .600 W% from here on out for them isn’t unreasonable and if they beat the dodgers a lot down the stretch it’s very possible they could catch them

by McCann's the Man on Aug 24, 2009 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rox

Also have a very favorable September schedule, IIRC, with lots of home games.

by Yakker on Aug 25, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that’s what I’ve been thinking. SF is about to fade imo, their hitting is just too bad outside of kung fu panda and their pitching depth beyond linc and cain is not enviable at all. We have no chance in the NL East but if the Giants, Rox, and Dodgers continue to split series we will be in it for the wild card. Just need to hold off the marlins as well though

by McCann's the Man on Aug 24, 2009 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that 4 game series @ Florida next weekend is huge.

7/24/2009 - "The Phillies are too far ahead in the NL East for the Braves to make a run." - Buster Olney

REMEMBER THAT BOYS.

by mvhsbball on Aug 24, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fish

Mets aren’t likely to give them much of a fight this week, and Santana’s now scratched from his start.

by Yakker on Aug 24, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Braves are hot*

and if they stay hot, they have a great chance to chase down and overtake Colorado.
Go Braves!

*since June 28, the Braves’ 32-18 record is second-best in the league behind the Phillies’ 33-16.

by fandave on Aug 24, 2009 8:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good point Mr. Dave

"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"

by The Keith Lockhart Era on Aug 25, 2009 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

on top of that I believe we have the best record in the NL since the all star break…but i don’t know… 10 games over last time i chekced

Heyward,Hanson,and Shaffer r ready now!! Why do you think they havent signed the "right handed bat"?

by fatazfoot on Jan 7, 2009 8:59 PM EST

by Swo12bv on Aug 25, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree.

With the Rockies having so many games between them and the Giants left we have a legitimate shot at winning the WC. While they are busy beating up on each other we just need to make sure that we are winning during those particular series’.

As far as the Phillies go we just need to win and see what happens and be sure to play them hard when we play them.

Bottom line we need to WIN when the teams ahead of us lose we have a habit of losing when they win and then winning when they win.

by drumzalicious on Aug 24, 2009 10:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Rockies have only 7 games left with the Giants. My biggest reason for picking the Rockies is that they 4 series’ left that aren’t in the NL West but only one of those will be against a team that is in contention.
The 3 game series against the Padres is a must win for the Braves because the 7 games against the Phillies and Marlins is going to be huge. If after that road trip we are still in contention then I think we win the Wild Card.

by jack dein on Aug 24, 2009 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs