Phillies' Magic Number for Playoff Berth Following Loss to Braves

What is the magic number for the Philadelphia Phillies entering Saturday night?

Sep 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming off a great West Coast trip, the Philadelphia Phillies returned home to open up their four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. However, they ran into Chris Sale and were unable to secure a win in the opener. 

It isn’t often that the Phillies lose when they have their ace Cristopher Sanchez on the mound, but that was unfortunately the case on Friday night. The southpaw took the loss in the game despite not pitching poorly. However, he was outdueled by Sale. 

Sanchez ended up going six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. By no means was it a terrible performance, but against one of the better teams in the National League, the Phillies lost this matchup. 

On the flip side, credit should go to Sale for his performance. The veteran southpaw went six innings and allowed just two runs. Even though he was just a little bit better than Sanchez, it was the difference. 

There wasn’t much from the Phillies from an offensive standpoint, with Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm carrying much of the load. Each had two hits, and Bohm was able to knock in both Phillies runs. 

However, due to a loss by the Diamondbacks, the magic number for Philadelphia once again dropped. 

Magic Number at 16 

Aug 30, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With some help from the Houston Astros, the Phillies are getting closer to a spot in the playoffs. However, with the loss to the Braves, they are now five back in the division, and gaining some ground there was certainly something that they were hoping to do. 

Fortunately, the team still does have three games left in the series, and Saturday will present them with the opportunity to get back to four games. 

Saturday will certainly be a big game for the team with Zack Wheeler taking the mound. The right-hander is coming off a much better performance in his last game, and Philadelphia will be hoping that he leaves the struggles from August behind him. 

If the Phillies are going to be a true contender, they simply need to have Wheeler pitching up to his abilities. On the mound for the Braves will be Martin Perez. Like Wheeler, he has had a good overall season, and this is another intriguing pitching matchup. 

Philadelphia will once again be rooting for the Astros on Saturday, but it will be important for them to handle their business as well.