Don’t look now, but the Braves lead in the National League wild-card race is dwindling.
We know that Braves trail the Phillies by 8.5 games in the NL East heading into Tuesday’s games. We long assumed that the Braves may not catch their division rival but would certainly coast into the playoffs as a wild card.
Yes, the Braves (54-45) are still the top wild card in the NL with a three-game lead after Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Reds. The Cardinals (52-48), who just took two of three from the Braves, hold a half-game lead over the Mets (51-48) for the remaining two spots.
That’s not an entirely comfortable position.
Not far back are the Pirates (51-49) and Padres (52-50), each a half-game back, and the Diamondbacks (51-50), a game back, from the final spot.
After the Braves finish this homestand against the Reds on Wednesday, they head to New York for a four-game series against the Mets.
The Braves are 35-38 since their MLB-best 19-7 start of the season.
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