Inside The Phillies

How Can Philadelphia Phillies & Los Angeles Dodgers Clinch No. 1 Seed ?

The top seed in the National League is still up for grabs between the Phillies and Dodgers.

Tyler Maher

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez reacts after pitching in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs.
Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez reacts after pitching in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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After six months of baseball and 159 games, the final weekend of the MLB regular season is finally here.

While most of the playoff teams have been decided already, several clubs are still jockeying for position. That includes the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, both of whom are battling for the No. 1 seed in the National League after clinching their divisions earlier this week.

Both teams have already secured first-round byes and home-field advantage in the NLDS, but claiming the No. 1 seed would guarantee home-field advantage in the NLCS as well. Considering how well both clubs play at home, that edge could be a deciding factor.

After rallying to beat the San Diego Padres and clinch the NL West on Thursday, the Dodgers are 95-64 entering play on Friday. The Phillies, who were off on Thursday, are one game back at 94-65.

Los Angeles wraps up its season with three games at Coors Field against the last-place Colorado Rockies, who are 61-98. Philadelphia also ends the year on the road against a team with a losing record -- the 69-90 Washington Nationals.

The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the top seed is three, meaning they need any combination of three wins and/or Phillies losses to secure the NL's best record.

For Philadelphia to clinch the No. 1 seed, it needs to win one more game than Los Angeles over the final three games.

If the Dodgers win one game, the Phillies need to win two. If Los Angeles takes two games, Philadelphia needs to sweep.

If the Dodgers somehow get swept (which hasn't happened since before the All-Star Break), the Phillies only need to win one game. And if Los Angeles sweeps, it takes the No. 1 seed.

Friday's games are critical for both sides and will set the tone for the rest of the weekend. A loss significantly reduces the margin for error, while a win provides some breathing room.

Philadelphia will send out All-Star lefty Ranger Suarez (12-7, 3.15 ERA) to face the Nationals, while the Dodgers have yet to name their starting pitcher.

Both clubs have dominated their opponents this year. The Phillies are 8-2 with a plus-28 run differential against Washington, whereas Los Angeles is 7-3 versus the Rockies with a plus-11 run differential.

Both teams have winning records on the road as well, so don't be surprised if the top seed isn't decided until Sunday.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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