Despite their pathetic performance as of late, Phillies fans have room to breathe. As far as the math is concerned, the Phillies are still golden. They are leading the division by 4 games with 6 to go. That being said, you can hit the panic button if they don't win tonight. Here's why: They're playing at home. The have their backs are against the wall. It's a must win game, and it's a winnable game. They're facing a team in turmoil - the lowly Houston Astros - a team that has been out of the playoff race since the all star break. A team that the Phillies haven't beat all season.
But they will win tonight. They are going up against no-name Wilton Lopez, a relief pitcher turned starter with a whopping 8.44 ERA. In his last appearance of 3 or more innings, Lopez gave up 6 earned runs (3 home runs) to the. . .wait for it. . .Arizona Diamondbacks. If the Phillies don't annihilate this guy, they don't deserve to be in the playoffs.
So my prediction is simple: The Phillies win tonight, and the Braves lose to Josh Johnson and the Marlins. Tomorrow's magic number: 1.
If they don't win, they have no balls. And you can start worrying. Because if you can't beat Wilton Lopez, you definitely can't beat Wainwright and Carpenter.
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