Cal Raleigh's power sinks Phillies twice in Seattle
Cal Raleigh went deep in four straight at-bats and George Kirby struck out nine as the Phillies dropped back-to-back games in Seattle, but the club still holds a National League Wild Card spot.
Cal Raleigh's four straight homers sink Phillies twice
Mariners2-9Mariners1-4The Phillies lost 9-2 to the Mariners on August 24 and 4-1 on August 25, both on the road in Seattle. Cal Raleigh's stretch of home runs in four consecutive at-bats, the subject of the site's own coverage, did the damage across the two games and turned what had been a good week into a rough finish to it.
The second loss came with George Kirby on the mound; per @TalkinBaseball_, Kirby struck out nine and shut down the Phillies lineup. Between the two games Philadelphia was outscored 13-3, a sharp turn from the series that preceded it.
Two games clear in the Wild Card, elimination number 26
| NL Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cubs | 76 | 57 | .571 | +5.0 |
 Phillies | 73 | 60 | .549 | +2.0 |
 Padres | 71 | 62 | .534 | — |
 Diamondbacks | 70 | 63 | .526 | 1.0 |
 Marlins | 67 | 66 | .504 | 4.0 |
 Cardinals | 66 | 67 | .496 | 5.0 |
 Pirates | 65 | 69 | .485 | 6.5 |
 Reds | 62 | 71 | .466 | 9.0 |
Even with the two losses in Seattle, the Phillies went 3-2 over their last five games and sit at 73-60, holding a National League Wild Card spot 2.0 games clear of the cutline. The Cubs lead the field at 76-57, 5.0 games clear, with an elimination number of 25; the Phillies' own elimination number is 26. San Diego sits right at the cutline, with Arizona 1.0 game back and Miami 4.0 back.
The stretch that built that cushion included Aaron Nola's start against the Cardinals on August 23, when he went 6.0 innings with 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts in a 6-4 win — part of a series in which Philadelphia beat St. Louis three straight before the trip to Seattle turned.
Upcoming
Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA) starts for Philadelphia; in his last outing against the Cardinals on August 21 he went 5.2 innings with 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts without a decision. Seattle counters with Bryan Woo (9-8, 4.10 ERA), who beat the Astros on August 16 by going 6.0 innings with 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.
The Phillies are in Seattle this afternoon looking to avoid a third straight loss in the series.
The market favors the Phillies, and the total points to a low-scoring game — in line with a series that has produced one run for Philadelphia in each of the last two games. Luzardo's strikeout stuff against a Mariners lineup that's carried the last two games gives the number its shape; if Philadelphia's bats stay quiet again, Woo's modest ERA won't need to hold up long.