The Mets cling to a sub-two-game lead for the NL Wild Card with just over two weeks left, facing a tense, roller-coaster finish after a fifth four-game skid and a third stretch of five losses. Confidence remains high in the roster’s talent, but the urgency is real as postseason stakes mount.

Philadelphia’s surge comes on Jesus Luzardo’s rebound outing, bulldozing through a four-run first and guiding a 6-4 comeback to complete a four-game sweep. The win pushes Philly well clear of New York and adds a historic sting to the Mets’ skid: 4+ runs in the first, but nothing else reaching base, and a loss still logged.

Phillies dropped a chance to sweep as offense stalled behind a strong start from Luzardo and a stifling performance from Waldrep. Castellanos, Turner, Schwarber and Bader went quiet in key spots, while Marsh’s RBI homer provided the lone run. Braves bullpen angles and a ninth-inning scare from Alvarado capped a 3-1 defeat that snaps Philadelphia’s momentum before a Milwaukee trip.

The setback keeps the series from a perfect run and leaves Philadelphia juggling lineup spots as they chase the division. Fantasy eyes stay on Turner's speed and Harper’s power, with Waldrep flashing rookie upside in a win-ready Braves rotation.

Drake Baldwin's late two-run homer lifted Atlanta to a 3-1 win over Philadelphia, capping a tense night in which Hurston Waldrep battled through 5.2 innings with 9 strikeouts and a splitter that kept the Phillies guessing. Philly’s bullpen unraveled in the eighth as Baldwin loaded the bases before delivering the decisive blast. The Braves head to Chicago for a Labor Day series with the Cubs, while Baldwin and Waldrep emerge as intriguing late-season fantasy plays.

Walker Buehler joined Philadelphia on a one-year deal, was assigned to Lehigh Valley, and could join the Phillies’ postseason rotation after Wheeler’s surgery. Boston cut him days earlier, leaving Philly to chase depth for October.

His playoff pedigree is elite (3.04 ERA in the postseason) while his 2024 Boston line (7-7, 5.45 ERA in 22 starts) hints at rust. The contract pays a month at the league minimum ($760k), a small risk for big upside if he recaptures form late in the season.