The Phillies didn’t just pad their record during that nine-game surge - they also picked up a little extra help from an odd Cardinals roster move that worked out in their favor.
Philadelphia swept St. Louis during the streak, and the timing of it all made the Cardinals’ handling of shortstop Masyn Winn stand out even more.
Winn fractured his thumb on Aug. 21, in the first game of the three-game series, then remained on the bench for a few days without a realistic chance to play. Only now has he been placed on the injured list, which opened the door for the Cardinals to bring up Nolan Gorman.
Gorman is no offensive force - he’s hitting below the Mendoza Line with a 67 wRC+ this season - but even so, a 26-man roster is still better than a 25-man one. Whatever St. Louis was thinking, Philadelphia was the team that benefited.
The Cardinals entered mid-August 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, chose to face the Phillies shorthanded, and got swept. Then they finally made the Winn move and added Gorman.
Like Mo never left.
- Prez Chaim Bloom (parodeez) (@PrezChaimBloom) August 25, 2026
That sweep carried more weight than just another notch in the win column. It widened the Phillies’ cushion for the second Wild Card and also gave them the season series over St.
Louis, 4-2. If the Cardinals make a push in September, Philadelphia now owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.
That edge matters around the rest of the race, too. The Cubs are the exception at 1-6, and they’re locked into the top Wild Card position, but the Phillies have already handled the other teams they’ve been chasing or fending off. They’re 6-0 against the Padres, 8-5 against the Marlins, and 5-2 against the Pirates.
There’s still one more major checkpoint coming later this month: a four-game set against the Diamondbacks. Philadelphia will need to win that series to claim the tiebreaker, after going 1-2 against Arizona in April.
Of course, none of that head-to-head stuff matters unless teams finish tied in the standings. And right now, Don Mattingly’s squad has a multi-game lead over every club they already own the advantage against. Even so, it’s useful insurance, and it helps explain why the vibes around this team are still immaculate.
The larger target is still the Braves and the top of the NL East, and the recent run has at least made that chase possible. Philadelphia will get a big September test with seven games in 10 days against Atlanta, but that’s a problem for later.
For the moment, the Phillies sit in strong shape for the playoffs, with a clear path toward the NL’s No. 5 seed.
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