Call to the pen
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Philadelphia Phillies: Crossroads of 2018-2019

By Tal Venada

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 31: Philadelphia Phillies Infield Asdrubal Cabrera (13) is mobbed by his teammates after a solo game winning home run during a MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs on August 31,2018 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia,PA.(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 31: Philadelphia Phillies Infield Asdrubal Cabrera (13) is mobbed by his teammates after a solo game winning home run during a MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs on August 31,2018 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia,PA.(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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A reenergized Hoskins is on a hot steak to finish the season. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images. /

Hail Mary:           

While Washington has the Atlanta Braves waiting for them at the Chop Shop, the Nationals are more than a spoiler for their NL East rivals. And the Braves are a weak 11-14 at home since the mid-July vacation. Overall, they are 37-34 there.

The Nats have won five of their last six games including two over the Chicago Cubs. But although they won’t deliver a knockout punch, they could give Atlanta a black eye precipitating a losing spell. And what are the Braves due for? A few defeats.

You probably know this by heart: Only the St. Louis Cardinals still have more errors and worse fielding than the red pinstripes. Supposedly, the Phillies had no postseason shot due to their defense. The Cards, on the other hand, went from 51-51 on Aug. 26 to 81-66 now. Yes, that’s 30-15!

While St. Louis has a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second wild card, these franchises are playing a four-game series at Busch Stadium. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have a potential problem with closer Kenley Jansen: He can’t travel to Denver due to an irregular heartbeat.

As for the Arizona Diamondbacks, they’re now closing with matchups because Brad Boxberger developed a case of blown-save syndrome. The D-backs, currently, are two games ahead of the hometown nine, and they are on a 3-10 downward trajectory. Moreover, their next nine contests are against division leaders.

While many fans see the Miami Marlins and New York Mets ahead, they don’t realize the big difference now. Presently, the Phils’ back doesn’t have a first-place target to provide those clubs with extra motivation. And the red pinstripes have an overwhelming need to win a couple series.

"WORTH REPEATING: “Long shots almost always miss the mark.” – Peter Lynch"

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