With 19 games to go, the Phillies (76-67) sit 1.5 games behind the Padres (77-65). The Phillies are the best offensive team in the NL and play in a ballpark that emphasizes their strengths. But, they can't pitch. The Padres are the best pitching team in the NL and also play in a ballpark that also emphasizes their strengths. But, they can't hit.
Everyone knows the two teams are wildly different. But how different? These two charts show where the two teams rank in the NL in the important offensive and pitching categories. The two teams are, as they say, like night and day:
| Phillies | Padres | Phillies | Padres | ||||
| PA | 1 | 13 | ERA | 14 | 1 | ||
| R | 1 | 12 | SV | 10 | 4 | ||
| H | 1 | 15 | SHO | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2B | 1 | 6 | QS | 11 | 1 | ||
| 3B | 2 | 8 | H | 12 | 2 | ||
| HR | 3 | 9 | R | 14 | 1 | ||
| TB | 1 | 13 | HR | 15 | 1 | ||
| RBI | 1 | 14 | BB | 10 | 1 | ||
| BB | 1 | 6 | K | 12 | 7 | ||
| SO | 14 | 15 | K/BB | 13 | 1 | ||
| BA | 1 | 15 | BAA | 13 | 2 | ||
| OBP | 1 | 15 | OPS | 16 | 1 | ||
| SLG | 1 | 13 | WHIP | 15 | 1 | ||
| OPS | 1 | 14 | |||||
| SB | 2 | 15 | |||||
| SB% | 1 | 12 | |||||
| HBP | 1 | 13 |
In the eternal war between teams that hit but can't pitch and teams that pitch but can't hit, we have two of the most extreme vying for the last NL playoff spot.