Phillies: NL East pennant chase
By Tal Venada
Five surprises:
Basically, most figured the Miami Marlins would have the first pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, but four clubs have a worse record. In fact, they haven’t been a total pushover.
As for New York (NL), FanGraphs predicted they’d play serious October baseball. Therefore, the interpretation of one Mets fan was they’d win the first wild card. But now fourth place appears to be in their future beyond 2018.
While injuries have plagued the Metropolitans, it appears to be more than bad luck. The belief here is the business side could be making decisions based on attendance. For instance, projecting a star’s quick return can prevent a drop in ticket sales, although that optimistic timetable is unlikely. Just a guess!
Regarding the Washington Nationals, they were going to win the division again with an eye toward the playoffs. Well, injuries and struggling regulars have beset them, and they probably won’t make a run due to losing their closer plus two setup men. File this under don’t count on tomorrow.
The Braves and the Phillies are the jaw-droppers. Yes, some are having career seasons, making an early or on-time impact, or bouncing back because of the challenge of losing their position. And both franchises are contending due to teamwork.
As for the top of the rotation, Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta are a solid one-two punch, while Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb are slightly less formidable. But each organization has three other capable starters, and each club can consistently achieve a winning formula: three solid outings out of every five.