Phillies news and rumors 8/19: As race for a bye heats up, so does the schedule

The Phillies have lined up their three best healthy starters for their trip to Atlanta this week, but really, as long as they win at least one at Truist Park, it’s a successful enough series as far as the division race is concerned.

But the race for a top-two seed in the National League, and a subsequent bye to the NLDS, is about to enter a crucial phase. That Atlanta series will kick off a 13-day gauntlet against the Braves, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and Braves again. All of those teams are currently in playoff position.

The Phillies lead the Los Angeles Dodgers by just half a game, and the Milwaukee Brewers by one game, atop the Senior Circuit. As they take on that aforementioned slate, the Dodgers open up a nine-game homestand against the middling Seattle Mariners, mediocre Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles, while the Brewers’ schedule is incredibly light: three against the St. Cardinals, Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants each and four against the Cincinnati Reds.

Even after the Phillies end that stretch and face much lighter opposition in the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins and Rays, the Brewers still get three against the Cardinals, three with the Colorado Rockies and three more against San Francisco.

That’s not to cry foul, obviously — peaks and valleys are how the schedule works. But while the Phillies would certainly love to expand their lead on the NL’s top spot to five games in the next two weeks, perhaps just getting out of it with favorable positioning at all would be a huge win.

Must-read Phillies content

• The Phillies announced their starting pitching plans for a big series this week in Atlanta. Ty Daubert has the news.
• Bailey Digh recaps Sunday’s series-finale loss to the Nationals.
• And Ty covers Rob Thomson’s explanation for keeping Bryce Harper on the bench in the ninth inning when he could’ve come to the plate as the tying run.
• The Athletic’s Matt Gelb wrote about the urgency that Phillies owner John Middleton feels to get his trophy back.
• MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki wrote about the obligation Middleton feels to the fans.
• The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Scott Lauber wrote about Middleton knowing the Phillies need to start playing like it’s June again.

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