Thanks to last night's crushing defeat of the New York Mets at the hands of the NL big dog Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies didn't really lose that much of their footing in the pennant race, at least when doing the math. The implications of a suddenly sputtering offense and an exhausted pitching staff are an entirely different matter...
If Phillies go 3-0:
Phillies win NL East division outright, home field advantage in first round, face NL West champion or Wild Card Milwaukee Brewers in first round.
If Phillies go 2-1:
Phillies guarantee at least a playoff tiebreaker scenario. If the Mets go 4-0 and the Brewers go 4-0, the three-way tie scenario comes into play: The Phillies host the Mets in a one-game playoff to determine the NL East winner, with the loser hosting the Brewers to determine the Wild Card. If the Mets go 4-0 and the Brewers fail to go 4-0, the Mets win the NL East (based on the regular season record tiebreaker) and the Phillies get the Wild Card and the Chicago Cubs in the first round. If the Mets fail to go 4-0, the Phillies win the NL East.
If Phillies go 1-2:
Mets win division outright with 4-0 finish. Three-way tie scenario if Brewers and Mets both go 3-1. If Mets finish 4-0 and Brewers finish 3-1, Phillies host Brewers in one-game playoff to determine Wild Card. Phillies guaranteed a playoff spot if either New York or Milwaukee fails to finish at least 3-1. Phillies lose playoff berth outright if both New York and Milwaukee finish 4-0.
If Phillies go 0-3:
Mets win division outright with 4-0 or 3-1 finish. Three-way tie scenario if Brewers and Mets both go 2-2. If Mets win division and Brewers finish 2-2, Phillies host Brewers in one-game playoff. Phillies guaranteed playoff spot if either New York or Milwaukee fails to finish at least 2-2. Phillies lose playoff berth outright if both New York and Milwaukee go 4-0 or 3-1.