Phillies

A Handy Spreadsheet to Keep Track of the Wild Card Race

By Kyle Scott

Published: Sep 11th, 2012 · 4:24 PM EDT

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The Phillies have played themselves back into a race, and that means CB readers are wasting an inordinate amount of time at work… doing things like this: crafting a perfectly handy spreadsheet, sent in by reader Ryan, to get your through the stretch run. 

Sheet 1, Win-Loss, allows you to see the remaining games, wins, and record needed to make the playoffs for the Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals and Dodgers. You can manipulate the games remaining and wins fields to keep track of A) how many games each team has remaining, B) how many total wins they have, and C) what record needs to be achieved in that team's final games to clinch a playoff spot. It’s a bit of work, but allows you to play out all scenarios on paper.

If you have a little more time (which some of you undoubtedly do), then you can go over to Sheet 2, Game-By-Game, where you can project each team’s remaining games and see how everything will wind up. Ryan defaulted the Cardinals to going 10-11 over their final 21 games. If that happens, the Phillies would need to finish 15-6 to tie them. Unlikely, but hardly impossible. 

Without counting, I went game-by-game for the Phillies. I came up with this: 

 

That would put the Phillies at 14-7 over their final 21 games– one game back of a Cardinals, if the Cards finish 10-11. So close.

The spreadsheet should keep you busy for a few hours… or the rest of the season. Should open in Excel or Numbers: Phillies Game-By-Game