Padres, Cubs and Phillies enter final days with three different wild-card advantages originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The National League wild-card race is no longer just about getting in. The order in which teams finish could decide where they play next week.

The Phillies will not clinch tonight. They went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position during a 4-1 loss to Milwaukee. Bryce Harper twice batted as the tying run in fifth and seventh innings but made outs on the first pitch he saw each time.

The cans of beer and bottles of champagne will remain unopened for now, and the protective plastic lining the ceiling of the Phillies clubhouse will have to stay rolled up at least another day. Because following their 4-1 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday,

Brandon Marsh broke out, Zack Wheeler made Phillies history, and Philadelphia beat Milwaukee to move its Wild Card magic number to two.

The NL East is lost, as the Braves pulled ahead by six games with six to play this Sunday. They hold the tiebreaker, and have ended the Phillies' short two-year streak of division championships. But they can still improve their playoff draw with a solid week and some help.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranked the Phillies' rotation as the third-best in MLB entering the playoffs. Even with Jesus Luzardo's injury, this rotation is more than capable of carrying the Phillies deep into October. "3. Philadelphia Phillies. The candidates: Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Andrew Painter," McDaniel writes.

The Phillies’ supporting cast produced, but their biggest bats went 1-for-18 in a 6-3 loss that tightened the NL Wild Card race.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB game to be played on September 24, 2026 on ESPN.