Click here for link10:18 am August 25, 2011, by Mark Bradley
When is a pennant race not a pennant race? Why, right about now.
The Braves trail Philadelphia by 6 1/2 games with 31 to play. (The Phillies have 34 games remaining.) There’s no pressure on either team. An illustration as to why:
Let’s say the Phillies somehow manage to squander their lead. Let’s say they do finish second to the Braves. To miss the playoffs, Philly would have to blow — pause for effect — a 15-game lead with 34 remaining. Because that’s the margin Philadelphia holds over San Francisco, the second-place team in the wild-card chase.
Let’s just take a deep breath and say: These Phillies aren’t going to collapse, and neither are these Braves. We around here can dream — “The Braves still have six games to play against Philly; what if they sweep all six?” — but that conveniently ignores the greater truth: The Phillies are one of two teams that haven’t been swept in a series this season, the Braves being the other.
It’s weird: The Braves are playing well and we’re about to head into September, which is supposed to be an exciting month, and yet the final weeks of the regular season figure to be just another round of exhibition games. The Braves lead San Fran by more than they trail Philadelphia. They’re getting in. Philly’s getting in. Milwaukee’s getting in.
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