Phillies' Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth Gets Major Jolt Following Win

What is the new magic number for the Philadelphia Phillies following a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Aug 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly in the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies have been performing really well on their West Coast trip, and with a fifth win already on the road, they are guaranteed a winning record out East. 

While there have been some ups and downs for the Phillies this year, the team is firing on all cylinders heading into September and playing some really good baseball. 

Now that the final month of the regular season is here, Philadelphia is 18 games over the .500 mark and should certainly be a 90-win team once again this year. 

The Phillies have really played well in August after a little hiccup after the All-Star break, and the additions at the trade deadline and shuffling some things around have worked out. 

On Monday, it was once again another really solid performance by Aaron Nola. The right-hander might not have pitched well to start the season, but he has been coming on of late and that is a great thing for Philadelphia. 

Getting strong outings from the backend of the rotation has been a major reason why the team has the record they currently do. Now, with the team riding a five-game winning streak, their magic number continues to drop. 

Magic Number Gets Nice Jolt 

Aug 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Diamondbacks being some direct competition for the Phillies, this series is a massive one in the NL wild card picture. With the win on Monday night, the magic number for Philadelphia was able to drop from 21 to 19. 

With September here, the Phillies are getting closer and closer to clinching a playoff berth, and if they can continue their success against Arizona, the number can be even smaller. 

As the team gets set for their game on Tuesday, another victory would knock the magic number down another two spots. Philadelphia will certainly like their chances of accomplishing that with Jesus Luzardo on the mound. 

The talented southpaw has been having a great campaign and has really pushed himself into a similar category as Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler overall this season. 

Due to the Diamondbacks having a nice lead over the Miami Marlins in the standings right now, they are going to be the team to watch for the time being for the Phillies. Wins in this series are really important for the team to get closer to clinching a playoff berth.

Furthermore, Philadelphia has now moved to within four games of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, and that race is far from over.